Quarterly Updates: Eritrea

Latest Update: 31 December 2012

Despite some indications of a greater willingness to engage with the international community on human rights, Eritrea continues to violate its obligations under domestic and international law and has still not shown tangible improvements on key human rights issues such as: religious freedom; freedom of the media; freedom of speech; and arbitrary detention.

The UK continues to raise concerns about the human rights situation with the Eritrean government at every opportunity. In October, the British Ambassador raised the implementation of the accepted recommendations of the 2010 UN Universal Periodic Review with President Isaias. We are now following this up with Eritrean officials, under the lead of the EU Delegation in Asmara.

Along with other EU member states, our Ambassador raised the full range of human rights issues, including freedom of media and expression; arbitrary detention; religious freedom and tolerance; and civil society rights, with the Eritrean government in December.

There continues to be reports of the trafficking of Eritrean refugees through the Sinai region. We have discussed these issues with representatives of the diaspora. The British Ambassador and FCO officials have raised these concerns with Eritrean and Egyptian government officials.

Latest update: 30 September 2012

The government of Eritrea has taken no concrete steps to improve its poor human rights record, including on key issues such as religious freedom, freedom of the media and freedom of speech.

The UK continues to raise human rights issues with the Eritrean government at every opportunity. The UK supported the adoption of a Human Rights Council resolution on Eritrea, which included the establishment of a Special Rapporteur and was passed by consensus on 6 July. Along with other EU Member States, the UK has been urging the Eritrean government to implement the accepted recommendations of the 2010 UN Universal Periodic Review

As in previous years, the EU High Representative published a Declaration on political prisoners in Eritrea on behalf of the European Union on 18 September.  This is the eleventh anniversary of the detention without trial of a group of eleven members of parliament of the State of Eritrea (the G-11) and ten journalists who had called for democratic reform. The UK has also discussed reports of the deteriorating health of Petros Solomon, one of the G-11, with a family member and human rights activist in London, and has lobbied Asmara, bilaterally and through the EU.  Our Ambassador has also raised concerns following reports that four of the detained journalists have died.

Latest Update: 30 June 2012

There is still no sign of willingness on the part of the Government of Eritrea to address its poor human rights record, including on key issues such as religious freedom, freedom of the media and freedom of speech.

The new British Ambassador in Asmara, who arrived on 4 May, has stressed in her early calls on government figures the link between human rights and national development, and has also raised the need for positive action byEritreain advance of forthcoming Human Rights Council and UN Security Council discussions.

There is increasing public and parliamentary interest in the growing problem of illegal trafficking of Eritreans through the Sinai and across theMediterranean.. FCO officials inLondonand the British Ambassador inAsmarahave discussed this with the Eritrean Embassy, representatives of the Diaspora and UNHCR.

Quarter One Update: 31 March 2012

The government of Eritrea continue to refuse to address their human rights record or take action on key issues such as religious freedom, freedom of the media and freedom of speech.

The Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell and the Minister for Africa Henry Bellingham raised Eritrea’s poor human rights record during meetings with the Eritrean Foreign Minister and Senior Presidential Adviser in London in February. In their response the Eritreans recognised that they needed to address human rights concerns but did not commit to concrete action.

The British Ambassador raised the issue of human rights as a barrier to development in January and February, urging the government of Eritrea to address human rights issues as an integral part of their National Development Strategy.

The United Kingdom supported the cross regional joint statement on the human rights situation in Eritrea delivered by Somalia on behalf of 44 states at the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 13 March. This called on the government of Eritrea to address the issue of human rights. In its right of reply the government of Eritrea said that they had accepted some of the recommendations made during the UNHRC’s Universal Periodic Review and were laying out a framework for their implementation. The United Kingdom, working with the EU and others, are ready to support Eritrea in this.