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EUROPEAN UNION

EUROPEAN UNION

 

 

 

Brussels, 15 September 2011 14281/11 PRESSE 310

Declaration by the High Representative Catherine Ashton on behalf of the European Union on political prisoners in Eritrea on the 10th anniversary of their detention

 

 

 

The European Union remains deeply concerned that the Government of the State of Eritrea continues to violate its human rights obligations, under both domestic and international law. The EU refers in particular to the continued detention without trial – since 18 September 2001 – of a group of eleven prominent members of Parliament and of the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, and also – since 23 September 2001 – of ten independent journalists, including the Eritrean-Swedish citizen Dawit Isaak. Despite repeated appeals by the international community, including the European Union, these people have been detained for the last ten years without any contact with the outside world, and with all rights suspended.

The continued lack of information on the whereabouts and the health of the detainees is in clear violation of several human rights obligations, such as the prohibition of arbitrary detention and the right of anyone deprived of his or her liberty to be treated with human dignity. These are enshrined in the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which has been ratified by Eritrea.

The European Union urges the Government of the State of Eritrea to release these prisoners unconditionally, along with other persons detained for their political views. The European Union requests the Government of the State of Eritrea to make public all information on the whereabouts of these prisoners and to allow them access to their families and lawyers not least on humanitarian grounds.

Articles - English

Human rights resolutions: Belarus, Sudan, Eritrea

Human rights resolutions: Belarus, Sudan, Eritrea

 

Human rights − 15-09-2011 - 16:43 
Plenary sessions

Parliament called for the immediate and unconditional release of Belorussian human rights defender Ales Bialatski and strongly condemned the Sudan Armed Forces' invasion of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, in urgent human rights debates and resolutions on Thursday. MEPs also called on the Eritrean authorities to release Dawit Isaak and former high-ranking officials immediately.

Belarus: arrest of human rights defender Ales Bialatski


MEPs express deep concern at the deteriorating situation of human rights defenders in Belarus. They strongly condemn the recent arrest of and allegations against Ales Bialiatski, Chair of the "Viasna" Human Rights Centre and the Belarusian authorities’ failure to respect the fundamental rights of freedom of assembly and expression.


Given the "unprecedented crackdown on civil society in Belarus following the presidential elections in December 2010", MEPs believe that the criminal case against Ales Bialiatski is politically motivated and intended to obstruct his legitimate work as a human rights defender. They call for Ales Bialiatski to be "immediately and unconditionally released from custody and for the investigation and all the charges against him to be dropped".


Parliament also calls on the Council, the Commission and foreign policy High Representative Catherine Ashton to step up their pressure on the Belarusian authorities, and to further expand the visa ban and asset freeze list to include those involved in the arrest and prosecution of Ales Bialiatski.

Sudan: the situation in Southern Kordofan and the eruption of fighting in Blue Nile State


MEPs deplore the loss of life, violence, human rights abuses and lack of humanitarian access in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile state and strongly condemn the SAF invasion of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states. They urge all parties to immediately cease fighting and to seek a political solution based on the agreement of 28 June 2011. They also call for the state of emergency in Blue Nile State to be lifted.


Parliament also demands that all sides allow humanitarian agencies to have immediate, unhindered access to all those in need free from intimidation and violence. Civilians and humanitarian workers must be protected.


Finally, MEPs call on the Commission, EU Member States and the international community to "honour their funding commitments to the region, particularly to address severe shortages of food aid, emergency shelter and protection". They also call for close attention to the food security situation and measures to be put in place should the situation worsen. Additional assistance might be needed to overcome the looming threat of a new large-scale humanitarian crisis in the region, they say.


Eritrea: the case of Dawit Isaak


MEPs call on the Eritrean authorities to release Dawit Isaak and former high-ranking officials immediately. They deplore the fact that Dawit Isaak has not yet regained his freedom and has had to spend 10 years as a prisoner of conscience and express their "fears for the life of Mr Isaak under the notoriously harsh prison conditions in Eritrea and without access to necessary health care".


MEPs further demand that the EU and EU Member States’ representatives be given access to Mr Isaak, in order to establish his needs in terms of health care and other support and call on High Representative Ashton to step up efforts by the EU and its Member States to secure Dawit Isaak’s release.


Finally, Parliament calls on the Council to make more active use of the dialogue mechanisms associated with the EU development assistance programme for Eritrea, "in order urgently to find solutions that will lead to the liberation of political prisoners and to improved democratic governance in the country". In this context, the Council is demanded to ensure that EU development assistance does not benefit the Government of Eritrea but is targeted strictly at the needs of the Eritrean people.




Procedure: Resolutions (Rule 122)

 
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Eritrea: Prisoners of conscience held for a decade must be released

Eritrea: Prisoners of conscience held for a decade must be released

 

Friday, 16 September 2011 05:32 Amnesty International

 

 

 

 

The Eritrean authorities must immediately and unconditionally release 11 prominent politicians, including three former cabinet ministers, who have been held incommunicado without charge for tenh years, Amnesty International said today (16 Sept).


The activists, all former members of the Central Council of the ruling People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) party, were arrested after calling for democratic reform.

Together with four other members of parliament, they had formed the G15/Group of 15 and published an open letter to the government and President Is

aias Afewerki calling for “democratic dialogue”.

The four other members of the G15 escaped arrest: three were out of the country and one withdrew his support for the group.

After the arrest of the activists, the Eritrean government said the 11 had committed crimes “against the security of the nation”.

The group had all been senior military or political leaders during the 30-year long war of independence with Ethiopia.

Amnesty International’s Africa Deputy Director Michelle Kagari said:

“This anniversary is a harrowing reminder of President Afewerki’s complete disregard for the essential right of freedom of expression. For more than a decade, he has brutally suppressed any legitimate criticism of his government.

“The ten-year incommunicado detention of these activists violates numerous rights protected under Eritrean and international law.”

In the ten years that they have been detained, the Eritrean authorities have refused to confirm their whereabouts or their health status to their families.
 


Holding them incommunicado increases the risk that they will be tortured or ill-treated while in detention, including by denying them adequate medical care.

Prison conditions in Eritrea are notoriously dire. Prisoners are subjected to extreme desert temperatures whilst held in underground cells and shipping containers. Physical and mental illness are rife amongst detainees.

Several members of the group were already suffering from medical conditions when they were arrested ten years ago. In recent years there have been reports that nine of the 11 have died in detention. The authorities have not responded to these allegations.

When the activists were arrested ten years ago Amnesty International identified them as prisoners of conscience, arrested simply because of their peaceful criticisms of the government. The organisation called for their immediate and unconditional release.

Michelle Kagari added:

“Ten years on, we continue to demand that the G15 detainees be released immediately. Their incommunicado, indefinite detention must end. Their 

families must be told of their whereabouts, and they must be given access to lawyers as well as any medical treatment they need.

“Thousands of political prisoners are languishing in dire conditions, many in secret detention, across Eritrea. We call on the Eritrean government to issue an amnesty for all political prisoners and to respect their right to freedom of expression.”

Among the 11 prisoners is Aster Fissehatsion, a veteran fighter of the war of independence and a former prominent member of the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF).  Also imprisoned is Aster’s ex-husband, former vice-president and foreign minister Mahmoud Ahmed Sheriffo, as well as Haile Woldetensae, and Petros Solomon, both of whom are also former foreign ministers.

Appeals from t

heir families and human rights activists that the prisoners be formally charged and tried or else released, and criticising their secret incommunicado detention, have been dismissed repeatedly by the Eritrean authorities.

In the months following the arrest of G15 members, dozens of journalists, government critics and supporters of the dissidents were also detained in a sweeping crackdown on freedom of expression. Many of those arrested also continue to be detained without trial.   

In the decade since the G15 prisoners were arrested the Eritrean authorities have repeatedly used arbitrary arrests, detentions and torture to stifle opposition. No opposition parties, independent journalism or civil society organisations are allowed.   

President Isaias Afewerki and the ruling PFDJ, the only permitted political party, exert complete control over the state without a hint of elections which have been indefinitely delayed.

 

 
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Sudan detains hundreds of Eritreans at Egyptian border

 

 

KHARTOUM, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Sudan detained on Monday 317 Eritreans trying to cross the border to Egypt with most of them wanting to reach Israel, Sudanese police said.

The Eritreans, among them 75 women and four children, were detained in northern Sudan 30 kilometers from the Egyptian border, a police spokesman said.

Most of them had planned to make their way through Egypt to reach Israel, he said.

Eritrea, a poor African country, lies east of Sudan. Many Eritreans work in Sudan or cross the country illegally to try to reach Europe or Israel.

(Reporting by Khaled Abdelaziz; Writing by Ulf Laessing)

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Arkokabay.com Interview with Mr. Suleiman Adam Hussein – CDRiE Chairman

Arkokabay.com Interview with Mr. Suleiman Adam Hussein – CDRiE Chairman

 

Citizens for Democratic Rights in Eritrea, CDRiE,  is one of the most visible Eritrean civil society groups in Eritrean Diaspora. Its membership come from across the Eritrean social and cultural spectrum, with varying, sometimes, diametrically opposed political opinions.

Since its launch in January 2009, CDRiE has produced over ten research papers covering topics of relevance to Eritrean human and democratic rights.

While most of the Eritrean civil and political groups see CDRiE favourably and have held with its leadership dialogues at different times, it’s also constantly attacked by some ambitious vocal elements who see in its independence and articulation of national concerns a direct threat to their Ethiopian  sponsored projects for Eritrea.

To explain CDRiE’s stand on the different issues of current public discourse, Arkokabay.com has conducted this interview with Mr. Suleiman Hussein – CDRiE’s Chairman since its foundation in 2009.

 

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Articles - English

Refugees in Eastern Sudan

Refugees in Eastern Sudan

By Maha El-Sanosi

 

 

Islamonline.net_ Khartoum

Over the past 40 years, thousands of refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia have been flocking in to Eastern Sudan – a region where the Taka Mountains with their rocky, majestic peaks are located. Fleeing grim political, economic and social conditions, they stream every month into neighboring Sudan, which is known for its open-door policy on refugees.

 

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