10 December - We appeal to the African Union Heads of State and Government to acknowledge and take action on the Government of Eritrea’s ongoing violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, as well as the rights to fair trial and due process of law.
Eritrea’s consistent and gross violation of human rights has stifled the country’s civil society into silence and almost complete disappearance. These abuses are well documented by international and African human rights organisations, as well as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).
There are currently no independent political parties, media, human rights organisations, or other critical civil society operating in Eritrea. Thousands of individuals suspected of being critical of government policies have systematically been silenced through arbitrary arrests and detentions. Since 2001, many former cabinet ministers, outspoken political leaders, trade unionists and journalists have been detained incommunicado and held without any charge. The few existing civil society organisations are restricted by Eritrea’s draconian NGO law which imposes unreasonable registration and funding requirements, and forbids registration of any NGO working outside relief and rehabilitation. Any gathering of more than seven people must have government approval.
Although the 1997 ratified Eritrean constitution recognises the rights to freedom of conscience, religion, expression of opinion, movement, assembly and association, the rights to human dignity, equality, life and liberty, and the rights to fair trial and due process of law the Eritrean government nevertheless has refused to implement it.
Among many other violations of rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, and the rights to fair trial and due process of law, include:
· Among numerous other political prisoners, eleven former high-ranking government officials who openly called for democratic reform and the implementation of the 1997 constitution, have been held in secret detention without charge since September 2001. The ACHPR, at its 34th session in November 2003, urged Eritrea to immediately release and compensate the 11 detainees. The ACHPR found the State of Eritrea in breach of Articles 2 (entitlement without discrimination to the enjoyment of human rights enshrined in the Charter), 6 (right to liberty and security of person), 7(1) (right to fair trial) and 9(2) (right to freedom of expression) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
· Three trade union leaders, Tewelde Ghebremedhin, Minase Andezion and Habtom Weldemicael were arrested in March and April this year, and they continue to be held without charge.
· Although the Eritrean constitution allows for freedom of expression, no independent media have been allowed to operate in the country since the government banned the free press and jailed independent journalists in September 2001. At least 10 journalists continue to be held in secret prisons without any formal charges laid against them.
· The Eritrean constitution allows for freedom of religion, however, the government consistently violates the rights of religious minorities. Following the 2002 government decree, which requires all religious groups to register or cease religious activities, Eritrea closed all religious facilities not belonging to the four approved religions (Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Eritrean Evangelical and Islam). The government continues to refuse to register any of the minority groups that apply for registration and arbitrarily restricts their religious meetings. Members of religious minorities, including Jehovah Witnesses and Pentecostal church have been subjected to indiscriminate arrests. The disappearance of a number of Muslims has also been attributed to their religious beliefs. There is estimated to be over 1,000 people currently detained for their religious activities.
· The right to freedom of association is consistently and systematically violated by the Eritrean government. There are currently no human rights organisations in Eritrea monitoring or reporting on human rights in the country. The NGO Administration Proclamation (No.145/2005) introduced in May 2005 codified already existing restrictions, placing unreasonable registration requirements on NGOs and limiting the few NGOs in Eritrea to relief and rehabilitation work. If a NGO works in areas such as human rights or legal advocacy, its activities could be deemed subversive and its members could be charged and imprisoned.
We urge African states individually and as members of the African Union to acknowledge and take action on the continued violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, as well as the rights to fair trial and due process of law by.
1) Publicly expressing concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in Eritrea, and condemn the gross violations of human rights being perpetrated by the Eritrean government;
2) Publicly urging the government of Eritrea to comply with the November 2003 ruling of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights and end the secret detention without trial of all political prisoners, human rights defenders, trade unionists and journalists;
3) Encouraging the Government of Eritrea to actively implement the 1997 constitution and to recognise and enforce the rights and freedoms which it guarantees and vows to protect;
4) Placing the human rights situation in Eritrea on the agenda of the African Union’s January 2006 Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
For more information, contact CIVICUS: World Alliance on Citizen Participation at cswatch@civicus.org or 27 11 833 5959, or the Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights at managment@emdhr.org or (+27) 12 4404749.
Signatory Organisations:
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights, South Africa
Eritreans for Human and Democratic Rights - UK
OTHERS TO BE ADDED
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