London, 30 June 2025 – Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE) strongly condemns recent threats of violence made by Eyob Gherbe Sellassie, a resident of the London Borough of Havering, United Kingdom, against an Eritrean activist and his family in Norway.
On 29 June 2025, in a TikTok livestream hosted by himself and widely circulated on social media, Mr Sellassie demanded that the activist, Mr. Amaniel Bein Asfaha (Gogela), stop participating in various online forums, and specifically in a daily public discussion in a TikTok room called “SAMI SHIKOR”. Mr Sellassie threatened harm to Mr Asfaha and his family if he continued. The threats included abusive language, defamation, and false accusations.
Such actions violate UK law, which prohibits threatening violence, harassment, and using electronic communications to convey threats under the Public Order Act 1986 and Communications Act 2003. HRCE urges the UK authorities to investigate immediately and protect activists’ rights to freedom of expression and peaceful online debate. Threatening violence against someone to stop them from speaking out is a clear violation of their fundamental rights, particularly their right to freedom of expression, which is protected under UK law and international human rights standards.
In his broadcast, Mr Sellassie explicitly threatened not only Mr Asfaha but also his family members, indicating they would suffer harm if he continued to participate. HRCE stresses that targeting family members with threats is especially alarming, deeply violates the rights and safety of families, and should be treated with utmost seriousness by law enforcement.
Under UK law, hate speech is prohibited under the Public Order Act 1986, which makes it an offence to use threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour intended to stir up racial or religious hatred. Defamation is addressed under the Defamation Act 2013, where false statements causing serious harm to a person’s reputation are actionable. Threats of violence and harassment are criminal offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Communications Act 2003. These legal provisions provide the basis to hold individuals accountable for threats, hate speech, and defamation.
This is not an isolated case. Mr Sellassie has previously engaged in threatening rhetoric specifically targeting Eritrean Muslims, stating publicly that they would be locked in camps if his group, the Agazian group, seized power in Eritrea. He has also consistently spread false accusations, issued threats, and engaged in defamation campaigns against other Eritrean activists living in the UK and abroad. HRCE emphasizes that these repeated actions demonstrate a pattern of behaviour that demands immediate investigation and accountability under UK law.
Indeed, this situation represents a form of transnational repression carried out by a non-state actor. Mr Sellassie’s actions are part of a broader pattern of intimidation, harassment, and threats against activists and religious groups in the Eritrean diaspora community. Such transnational repression, even by non-state actors, undermines fundamental rights, threatens community safety, and demands urgent attention by both UK authorities and the international human rights community.
Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE)
