{"id":2267,"date":"2015-06-09T05:50:59","date_gmt":"2015-06-09T05:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitederitreamedia.com\/blog12\/?p=2267"},"modified":"2015-06-09T05:50:59","modified_gmt":"2015-06-09T05:50:59","slug":"new-un-report-details-litany-of-human-rights-violations-rule-by-fear-in-eritrea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitederitreamedia.com\/blog12\/2015\/06\/09\/new-un-report-details-litany-of-human-rights-violations-rule-by-fear-in-eritrea\/","title":{"rendered":"New UN report details litany of human rights violations, \u2018rule by fear\u2019 in Eritrea"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea Sheila B. Keetharuth. UN Photo\/Amanda Voisard<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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8 June 2015 \u2013 Amid \u201csystematic, widespread and gross human rights violations,\u201d the human rights situation in Eritrea has degenerated into a climate of fear in which dissent is stifled and large swathes of the population are subjected to forced labour and imprisonment, a new United Nations report has found.<\/p>\n

The report<\/a> by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea cites a raft of violations \u2013 some, it says, which may constitute crimes against humanity \u2013 of \u201ca scope and scale seldom witnessed elsewhere,\u201d according to a press release<\/a> issued today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the end of the Commission\u2019s investigations and the publication of this report detailing our findings on human rights violations in Eritrea, I look forward to a renewed commitment by the international community to address the justice deficit and to support our call for a restoration of the rule of law,\u201d affirmed Sheila B. Keetharuth, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, who also serves on the Commission.<\/p>\n

\u201cRule by fear \u2013 fear of indefinite conscription, of arbitrary and incommunicado detention, of torture and other human rights violations \u2013 must end.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Commission\u2019s report details numerous incidences in which Eritrea\u2019s \u201cinitial promise of democracy and rule of law\u201d following its independence in 1991 has been \u201cextinguished\u201d by the Government under the pretext of national defence. Examples, it notes, include the severe curtailing of rights and freedoms as well as violations in the areas of extrajudicial executions, torture, national service and forced labour.<\/p>\n

In addition, a system of mass surveillance, a \u201ccompletely deficient\u201d administration of justice, and \u201cubiquitous\u201d arbitrary detention contribute to the pervasive terror encountered by Eritreans on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe commission finds that the use of torture is so widespread that it can only conclude it is a policy of the Government to encourage its use for the punishment of individuals perceived as opponents to its rule and for the extraction of confessions,\u201d the report continues. \u201cMonitoring of detention centres is non-existent and perpetrators are never brought to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

The widespread abuses allegedly faced by many in the Horn of Africa nation have prompted hundreds of Eritreans to flee their home country in search of asylum in Europe. According to the latest estimates produced by Italian authorities, 32,000 Eritreans were rescued in 2014 as they attempted to traverse the Mediterranean \u2013 the majority of all migrants rescued by Italy\u2019s comprehensive Mare Nostrum operation. Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency has placed the number of Eritreans under its concern outside the country at more than 357,400.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn desperation, they resort to deadly escape routes through deserts and neighbouring war-torn countries and across dangerous seas in search of safety. They risk capture, torture and death at the hands of ruthless human traffickers,\u201d adds the Commission\u2019s report. \u201cTo ascribe their decision to leave solely to economic reasons is to ignore the dire situation of human rights in Eritrea and the very real suffering of its people. Eritreans are fleeing severe human rights violations in their country and are in need of international protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Commission \u2013 appointed last September by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in what the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR<\/a>) then described as a \u201chistoric moment\u201d\u2013 is composed of Mike Smith of Australia and Victor Dankwa of Ghana, as well as Ms. Keetharuth.<\/p>\n

As independent experts or special rapporteurs, they are appointed by the Geneva-based Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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News Tracker: past stories on this issue<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eritrea: UN expert to investigate pervasive rights abuses as part of \u2018historic\u2019 inquiry<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea Sheila B. Keetharuth. UN Photo\/Amanda Voisard 8 June 2015 \u2013 Amid \u201csystematic, widespread and gross human rights violations,\u201d the human rights situation in Eritrea has degenerated into a climate of fear in which dissent is stifled and large swathes of the population are subjected to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_ml_titleColor":"#000000","_ml_titleFont":"Roboto","_ml_titleFontSize":1.1359999999999998987476601541857235133647918701171875,"_ml_titleFontWeight":"400","_ml_titleLineHeight":1.3000000000000000444089209850062616169452667236328125,"_ml_metaColor":"#708090","_ml_metaFont":"Montserrat","_ml_metaFontSize":0.67849999999999999200639422269887290894985198974609375,"_ml_metaFontWeight":"400","_ml_metaLineHeight":0.92000000000000003996802888650563545525074005126953125,"_ml_bodyColor":"#a9a9a9","_ml_bodyFont":"Open Sans","_ml_bodyFontSize":0.84999999999999997779553950749686919152736663818359375,"_ml_bodyFontWeight":"400","_ml_bodyLineHeight":1.1999999999999999555910790149937383830547332763671875,"_ml_wooPriceColor":"#666","_ml_wooPriceFont":"Open Sans","_ml_wooPriceFontSize":0.90000000000000002220446049250313080847263336181640625,"_ml_wooPriceFontWeight":"400","_ml_wooPriceLineHeight":1.270000000000000017763568394002504646778106689453125,"_ml_headingColor":"#000","_ml_headingFont":"Merriweather","_ml_headingFontSize":2.020000000000000017763568394002504646778106689453125,"_ml_headingFontWeight":"700","_ml_headingLineHeight":1.4699999999999999733546474089962430298328399658203125,"_mlglobal_userfontcolors":{"headingColorUser":[],"titleColorUser":[],"metaColorUser":[],"bodyColorUser":[],"wooPriceColorUser":[]},"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew UN report details litany of human rights violations, \u2018rule by fear\u2019 in Eritrea - UNITED ERITREA MEDIA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New UN report details litany of human rights violations, \u2018rule by fear\u2019 in Eritrea - UNITED ERITREA MEDIA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea Sheila B. 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