Eritrea - country of concern: latest update 31 December 2014
Updated 21 January 2015
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eritrea-country-of-concern/eritrea-country-of-concern-latest-update-31-december-2014
Any incidents or events taking place after 31 December 2014 will be covered in future reports.
0.1 Latest Update: 31 December 2014
During the last three months, Eritrea continued in practice to fall short of many of its commitments in international and domestic law. However, it also continued to take steps to engage with the international community on important human rights issues.
On 21 November 2014, Eritrea voted in favour of a global moratorium on the death penalty at the UN General Assembly. Eritrea has observed a moratorium on the death penalty for several years, but this is the first time Eritrea has voted so in an international forum. This step was welcomed by Minister for Human Rights, Baroness Anelay.
The UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry into Eritrea has begun its work by scheduling meetings with those who have personal experience of and insight into the human rights situation in Eritrea. There are no plans yet for it to visit Eritrea.
The UK Ambassador continued to work with others to press Eritrea to improve observance of its commitments on human rights, and supported a joint event to mark International Human Rights Day in Eritrea on 10 December. This was attended by senior Eritrean government figures, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice. Speakers emphasised the importance of observing international human rights standards.
The government of Eritrea has given informal assurances that it intends to make its national service programme more consistent with international standards. Senior government officials have given assurances to representatives from several countries that it will henceforth be conducted strictly in accordance with the 1995 proclamation which introduced it, and that new entrants to the programme will not be obliged to serve more than the eighteen months provided for in that proclamation. If observed in practice, this consistency and transparency on the length of national service will make it significantly more compliant with international standards, and more comparable with national service programmes in many other countries.
However, there continue to be areas where the government of Eritrea falls significantly short of international human rights standards, including areas such as arbitrary and inhumane detention, freedom of expression and assembly, and freedom of movement. Freedom of access to information remains constrained by the absence of any independent domestic media, though there is in practice no restriction on access to international satellite television. Freedom of religion or belief is limited by the need for official approval for religious institutions, which is in practice restricted to four major religious organisations, also subject to some government interference in senior appointments.
There has been no progress on the implementation of a constitution which would provide for fully participative politics. Eritrea has not yet permitted the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea to visit the country.
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