Recent UN report reveals a long list of enormous human rights violations in Eritrea.

Based on a report conducted by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea (established in 2014 by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate alleged human rights violations in the country), “systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations have been and are being committed by the Government of Eritrea and there is no accountability for them. The enjoyment of rights and freedoms are severely curtailed in an overall context of a total lack of rule of law.”

The commission’s findings disclose that abuse, widespread torture, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, incidents of sexual violence and slavery and forced labour are prevalent within the country, under the long totalitarian regime of President Isaias Afwerki, and “may constitute crimes against humanity”.

 The extreme dimensions of mass surveillance within the country used by the government arbitrarily is violating the citizens’ right to privacy and creating an environment of permanent fear.

“Eritreans live in constant fear that their conduct is or may be monitored by security agents and that information recorded by state agents may be used against them - to arrest them, detain them, torture, disappear or kill them” states the commission.

According to the report, due to the deteriorating human rights situation “hundreds of thousands of Eritreans are fleeing their country […]In desperation, they resort to deadly escape routes through deserts and neighbouring war-torn countries and across dangerous seas in search of safety. They risk capture, torture and death at the hands of ruthless human traffickers.”

Citizens’ Rights Watch (CRW) expresses its concerns over the extensive human rights violations in Eritrea!

We ask for the respect of human rights and call the government to follow UN recommendations and take action against impunity for past human rights violations!

Source:

Report of the detailed findings of the commission of inquiry on human rights in Eritrea (A/HRC/29/CRP.1) Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/CoIEritrea/Pages/ReportCoIEritrea.aspx

Image Credits: Steve Rhodes/IPS

Contact: Ms. Athanasia Zagorianou, LLM

CRW Researcher & Trustees’ Council Member

nassia@citizensrw.org