The student demonstration of October 31st 2017 in Asmara, the capital city prompted an exaggerated and violent reaction by the government, which ordered soldiers to shoot at the civilians (an order which seems to have been ignored). The immediate round-ups were not the only ones conducted,…
A student demonstration has been met with gunfire outside the President’s Office in Asmara, various online news avenues and commentators have reported. The demonstration was staged in response to the Eritrean government’s closure and interference with the Al Diaa Islamic School in the Akria district in…
(news1130.com, Renee Bernard, September 24, 2017) VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Should a lawsuit alleging human rights abuses against foreign workers at a Canadian mining company be heard in Canada? A four-day BC Court of Appeals hearing begins on Monday to hear an appeal of a decision…
Fikadu Debesai, a Christian woman arrested for practising her faith, has died while in custody. Shewas taken to a prison near Gahtelay and Shiib along with her husband Afwerki for practising her faith, after a round-up in May 2017, in which many people were arrested in Adi…
(theguardian.com, Diane Taylor, January 22, 2017) The government downplayed the risk of human rights abuses in one of the world’s most repressive regimes in an attempt to reduce asylum seeker numbers despite doubts from its own experts, internal documents have revealed.
HRSP (Human Rights and Special Prosecution, under the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice) launched an initiative 15 months ago to ensure that immigrants living in our communities know that justice might be served in the United States for atrocities that happened long ago…
UN News Centre, 28 October 2016 – Eritrean officials have committed crimes against humanity since 1991, including enslavement, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, other inhumane acts, persecution, rape and murder, a member of the former United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the country reported to…
GENEVA (28 October 2016) – States must heed the pleas of countless victims of crimes against humanity for justice and accountability, Sheila Keetharuth of the former UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in Eritrea urged the UN General Assembly today. The Commission has recommended that…
(theguardian.com, Karen McVeigh, October 14, 2016) Dozens more workers alleging forced labour and intimidation at Bisha mine set to join civil action against mining company Nevsun Resources Dozens of Eritreans are to join a groundbreaking civil action in Canada as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Nevsun…
(National Observer, By Geordon Omand & Elizabeth McSheffrey, October 7 2016) In a historic legal first, foreign workers who have accused a Vancouver−based company of using slavery at an African mine will have their case heard in the Canadian court system.
(mining.com, October 7, 2016) “There is a real risk that the plaintiffs could not be provided with justice in Eritrea,” said Justice Patrice Abrioux in a ruling that allows three refugees to proceed with a civil lawsuit against Vancouver-based Nevsun Resources. In an unprecedented decision, the…
(The Guardian, October 7, 2016) Foreign workers who have accused a Canadian company of human rights abuses at an African gold mine will have their case heard in Canada’s legal system. The supreme court of British Columbia in a judgment this week is allowing three refugees…
GENEVA (16 September 2016) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Sheila B. Keetharuth, today called on the Eritrean Government to urgently provide information on the whereabouts and state of health of senior government officials and independent journalists arrested on…
(Financial Times, David Pilling, June 15, 2016) Ex-UN secretary-general rejects charges of court bias against continent: Read full story at Financial Times
Activists from across Africa highlight the need for African governments to support the International Criminal Court in a video by 21 African and international nongovernmental organizations. (hrw.org, Nairobi, July 6, 2016) Activists from across Africa clarify misconceptions about the International Criminal Court (ICC) and highlight the need for…
(Martin Plaut, July 5, 2016) Votes were held in the Dutch Parliament today following last week’s debate on Eritrea. Below are unofficial summaries of the resolutions adopted.
(UN News Centre, 4 July 2016) – A United Nations-mandated human rights inquiry panel today welcomed a resolution that brings justice for the people of Eritrea who have suffered gross human rights violations over the past 25 years “a step closer” to being realized.
Geneva (8 June 2016) – Crimes against humanity have been committed in a widespread and systematic manner in Eritrean detention facilities, military training camps and other locations across the country over the past 25 years, according to a new report by the UN Commission of Inquiry…
(biv.com, Nelson Bennett, April 19, 2016) Human rights groups are backing several claims against firms operating in Guatemala, Eritrea: In the coming months, the BC Supreme Court is expected to decide whether a civil claim against a B.C. company with a mine in Eritrea can be…
(UNHR, March 14, 2016) I am honoured to brief you in my capacity as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea. I present this oral update pursuant to HRC resolution 29/18. The focus of my presentation will be the situation of unaccompanied…