On 15 November 2025, Yafet Yemane Gebremariam, aged 16, was shot dead by Eritrean soldiers after cutting trees and making charcoal to support his family. His father is imprisoned, and Yafet had assumed responsibility as the primary breadwinner, supporting his mother and siblings in a country with no social welfare system.
After being shot, his body was left at the scene for an entire day, denying the family dignity and the right to mourn. His burial was forced without any forensic examination.
Following the killing, more than 100 male residents of Kerankudo village aged between 16 and 80 were arbitrarily arrested, including Yafet’s brother, who has mental health conditions, reportedly for expressing grief and anger. The village was militarily sealed off, and outlying rural settlements were later burned down, destroying homes and livelihoods.
Among those detained are persons with disabilities and frail elderly men. Since their arrest in mid-November, 2025, detainees have not been allowed family visits, their whereabouts remain undisclosed, and they are reportedly held in the clothes they were wearing at the time of arrest, without access to basic necessities. Detainees who require life-sustaining medication have received no medical care, placing their lives at serious risk.
Kerankudo is a rural farming and pastoral community. Many residents live in outlying settlements on traditional village lands, which are essential for grazing and subsistence. Some families have no homes in the village centre. The destruction of these settlements occurred without consultation, legal basis, or alternative support, amounting to forced displacement and collective punishment.
The above facts indicate violations of:
- Right to life;
- Prohibition of arbitrary arrest and detention;
- Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment;
- Rights of the child;
- Prohibition of collective punishment, and;
- Right to health and humane detention conditions.
Human Rights Concern – Eritrea calls on the Government of Eritrea to:
- Immediately disclose the whereabouts and condition of all detainees from Kerankudo village;
- Unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained;
- Ensure immediate access to medical care, family contact, and legal safeguards;
- Allow an independent, impartial investigation into the killing of Yafet Yemane Gebremariam, the mass arrests, and the destruction of civilian property, and
- Guarantee protection from reprisals for victims, families, and witnesses.
The situation presents an urgent risk to life and physical integrity, particularly for elderly, disabled, and medically vulnerable detainees.
The people of Kerankudo deserve justice, accountability, and protection.
Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE)
