Thomas called on the international community to press Eritrea for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained arbitrarily on account of their religion or belief., We also call for urgent action to arrest the unfolding crisis in Tigray, including by imposing arms embargoes on the warring parties, and sanctions on the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea, who bear ultimate responsibility for human rights violations that are allegedly being committed with impunity by their respective forces.. That was the last time I saw my friend. As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years.In addition, 39 men and 10 women who are Witnesses are also imprisoned. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. trial, and should never have been incarcerated. Since then, national presidential or legislative elections have never taken place. We also call for urgent action to arrest the unfolding crisis in Tigray, including by imposing arms embargoes on the warring parties, and sanctions on the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea, who bear ultimate responsibility for human rights violations that are allegedly being committed with impunity by their respective forces. As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years. It's well past the time they were released. On 1 February, 21 female and 43 male prisoners were released He was a very honest, hardworking, upright man. I have tears in my eyes while at work. In my update today, I will focus on the (a) the human rights of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in the context of the ongoing Tigray crisis in Ethiopia, which added a new complicated dynamic in monitoring the human rights of the Eritrean people, and (b) the progress made in relation to the benchmarks set out in the reports of my predecessor. Wizieni za wiar Erytrea BIBLIOTEKA INTERNETOWA Stranicy ", CSW's Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: "CSW welcomes the release of these Christians in Eritrea, who were detained without charge or trial, and should never have been incarcerated. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-report-on-international-religious-freedom/eritrea/, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-8-2017-0309_EN.html, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/G1914037.pdf, https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Egypt.pdf, https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Eritrea.pdf, Human Rights Without Frontiers International. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Ethiopia: Statement of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human Thanks for your help Tortuga !!! However, this good news must not obscure the Eritrean regimes continued complicity in egregious violations of human rights, both within its own borders and now in Tigray.. They are now aged 41, 40, and 38 respectively, having spent their youth in confinement. I call on Eritrean authorities to put an end to such treatments and comply with their international human rights obligations. They were held at the Sawa military training camp until 2017, when they were transferred to Mai Serwa prison, where they were briefly granted access to visitors for the first time since their imprisonment. I canimagine a broadcast in the coming months containinginterviews with these faithful brothers and sisters. We have been working with them in the field ministry and I had the priviledge of having a public talk, translated into Amahric. I hope the Eritrean authorities will cooperate with my mandate and I am still awaiting their response. We offer publicity space for Catholic groups/organisations. A number of beliefs and practices of Jehovahs Witnesses have been perceived negatively by the current government. refugees from Hitsat and Shimelba camps are currently missing. I also ( suspiciously) wonder why this is happening now? However, since this presidential decree, security forces have imprisoned, tortured, and harassed Jehovahs Witnesses in an effort to force them to renounce their faith. As our audience increases - so do our costs. Funny story, last several days they were on my mind more than usual. They refuse to kill or receive training on how to kill. It is difficult to speak of progress in Eritrea while their cases remain unresolved. However, this good news must not obscure the Eritrean regime's continued complicity in egregious violations of human rights, both within its own borders and now in Tigray. In what could be an attempt to distract the attention of the international community from Eritreas role in the ongoing war in the Tigray region in neighboring Ethiopia, the Eritrean government last Monday released 21 female and 43 male prisoners from Mai Serwa and Adi Abeito prisons near the capital city of Asmara, CSW reported. Return to homepage. Eritrea:Jehovah's Witnesses cry over maltreatment | News Ghana Since I started my mandate on 1 November 2020, I am monitoring the ongoing Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, which erupted on 4 November 2020, and its impact on the Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers. Finally, since my appointment, I have not yet had the opportunity to meet with Eritrean officials. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. They also cannot receive a complete education: 12th-grade education takes place at the Sawa military camp, but because Jehovah's Witnesses conscientiously object to military service, they do not register for their final year of education. In this oral update, I request the Eritrean authorities to give me full access to refugees and asylum seekers allegedly held in various prisons inside Eritrea. As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years.In addition, 39 men and 10 women who are Witnesses are also imprisoned. Neither camp is The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the US government: [1] For more religious statistics, see U.S. Department of State, Office of International Religious Freedom, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Report on international Religious Freedom: Eritrea 2018, 2018. https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-report-on-international-religious-freedom/eritrea/. However, this good news must Because they will not participate in compulsory military service, Eritrean authorities consider them to be opposed to the regime. The new president declared that Eritrean-born Jehovahs Witnesses were no longer considered citizens primarily because they stood firm to their position of Christian neutrality by refusing to take part in National Service. Statement from UN Special Rapporteur on Eritrean Human Rights . We will all keep watching closely for the latest developments. Eritrean officials declined to attend a July hearing before the commission, in which the prisoners' lawyers said they would like to discuss a resolution to the case. I am concerned that the conditions in the camp have impact on the right to education. I am particularly concerned about the two refugee camps, which hosted over 25,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray region, Hitsats and Shemelba, and which were allegedly destroyed in attacks carried out by Eritrean and Ethiopian troops between November 2020 and January 2021, despite their protected humanitarian status under the 1951 Convention on the Protection of refugees. The JW's doctrine of political neutrality has led to imprisonment of members who refused conscription. Prior to independence, Eritrea allowed conscientious objectors to join an alternative civilian service group to fulfill their obligation.The Eritrean constitution, ratified in 1997, officially grants citizens the right to freedom of religion, but it has limitations. Victory: 70 Christians Released From Three Eritrean Prisons of all those detained arbitrarily on account of their religion or belief. Of the Jehovahs Witnesses currently imprisoned, 16 are known to have been arrested for conscientious objection to military service. I also welcome the release, on 4 December 2020, of 24 Jehovah's Witnesses, including the three conscientious objectors, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years, and whose cases were highlighted by the former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea in her statement during the Woke up this morning and found out they were suddenly released! Authorities arrested Eyasu, Mogos and Teklemariam on September 17, 1994, but formal charges were never filed and they've never come before the court. He Learned From Prisoners Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY - JW.ORG All Witnesses currently in prison have never been charged, appeared in court, or sentenced. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. ICN aims to provide speedy and accurate news coverage of all subjects of interest to Catholics and the wider Christian community. Please click here to learn how. Among other restrictions, Jehovahs Witnesses are not able to receive a full secular education, own a business, or travel outside of the country. Press briefing note on Myanmar/Bangladesh - Rohingya, UN expert implores Myanmars Suu Kyi: open your eyes, listen, feel with your heart, National institutions and regional mechanisms. Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, Negede Teklamarium most of all. Neither camp is currently accessible; however, in January 2021 satellite imagery revealed that both had been extensively and deliberately destroyed. Citing eyewitnesses he met during a recent visit to Mai Aini, the High Commissioner said many refugees appear to have been "caught in crossfire, abducted and forced to return to Eritrea under duress by Eritrean forces. [3], Presented to the UN Human Rights Council on 16 May 2019, the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea stated that Jehovahs Witnesses face severe persecution, including denial of citizenship and travel papers, for their political neutrality and conscientious objection to military service. Is this video confirmed ? Made me think of Joseph in prison, and how we never know what can happen. The women were arrested for worshiping in public, a video of which was shared by some on social media, CSW said. Thus, when the Witnesses contacted him, he immediately began to study the Bible with them and to attend their meetings. ( As I have their names memorized)! Special Procedures, 46rd Session of the Human Rights Council. "Some of those Witnesses have been imprisoned for more than 20 years. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The trioidentified as Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariamhave been incarcerated in the East African nation since 1994, after refusing to partake in military service, part of their pacifist beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses. "I was with him the night before they arrested him," said Eyasu's friend, who asked for anonymity for protection. After 19 years in detention, where is Dawit Isaak and when will he be released? According to reports, four . Come On In, The Water Is Fine | Advanced Spine and Pain Was this article helpful? On 27 January 2021, six female prisoners detained for worshipping in public in September 2020 in Dekemhare, south-east of Asmara, were also released. Finally, since my appointment, I have not yet had the opportunity to meet with Eritrean officials. not obscure the Eritrean regimes continued complicity in egregious violations I call on Eritrean authorities to put an end to such treatments and comply with their international human rights obligations. Your email address will not be published. Eritrea has not yet put in place an institutional and legal framework to uphold minimum human rights standards in a democratic society.