A UN expert on Friday warned that the human rights situation in Eritrea continues to deteriorate as concerns grow about the continued use of enforced disappearances, indefinite conscription and torture, as well as the government’s refusal to cooperate with international organizations to address these problems.
Explaining the seriousness of human rights problems in the country, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, stated:
Unfortunately the core Human rights The issues that led to the creation of this mandate 14 years ago remain largely unresolved. The ongoing systematic, widespread and enforced disappearances and prolonged incommunicado detention without charge or trial, torture and the persecution of political opponents, journalists and members of religious communities remain central features of governance in Eritrea.
His comments come amid the unveiling of a report on the state of the country on 62nd session des AND Human Rights Council – a particularly crucial time as the expiry date of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate approaches. Given the massive violations of basic civil liberties in the country, the expiration of the mandate, which acts as an independent mechanism to investigate and document serious human rights violations in the country, represents an uncertain future for ordinary civilians.
Although Babiker welcomed the recent release of 13 arbitrarily detained civilians, he noted that investigations should be launched into the disappearances of prominent religious leaders. Religious institutions in Eritrea are targeted by discrimination by the one-man dictatorship government, as the regime aims to exercise full control over all aspects of civil society and eliminate any possible independent opposition. The government currently recognizes only four religious communities as legitimate.
Any religious expression outside of these four denominations often results in members being condemned indefinitely Imprisonment without chargetypically under degrading conditions. However, the leaders of the four government-recognized denominations are not exempt from government intervention, as the regime regularly imposes their appointments, confiscates their assets, and arbitrarily detains those fighting for independence in religious matters. For example, Abune Antonios, the rightful patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, died in custody in 2022 after being subjected to a trial that lasted more than 50 years Decades of house arrest for his opposition to the government.
In addition, human rights organizations have criticized the country’s indefinite commitment Conscriptionwhich often lasts decades, although it is legally limited to a period of 18 months. The harsh and protracted nature of the service has caused hundreds of thousands to emigrate from the country Apply for asylum Many of these refugees were later threatened, trafficked or deported.
