·         Eleven former high-ranking government officials who openly called for democratic reform and the implementation of the 1997 constitution, have been held in secret detention without charge since September 2001. The ACHPR, at its 34^th session in November 2003, urged Eritrea to immediately release and compensate the 11 detainees. The ACHPR found the State of Eritrea in breach of the following articles of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: Articles 2 (entitlement without discrimination to the enjoyment of human rights enshrined in the Charter); 6 (right to liberty and security of person); 7(1) (right to fair trial); and 9(2) (right to freedom of expression).

·         Three trade union leaders, Tewelde Ghebremedhin, Minase Andezion and Habtom Weldemicael, were arrested in March and April this year, and they continue to be held without charge.

·         Although the Eritrean constitution allows for freedom of expression, no independent media have been allowed to operate in the country since the government banned the free press and jailed independent journalists in September 2001. At least 10 journalists continue to be held in secret prisons with no formal charges laid against them.

·         While the Eritrean constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the government consistently violates the rights of religious minorities. Following the 2002 government decree, which requires all religious groups to register or cease religious activities, Eritrea closed all religious facilities that do not belong to the four approved religions (Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Eritrean Evangelical and Islam). The government refuses to register any minority groups that apply for registration and arbitrarily restricts their religious meetings. Members of religious minorities, including Jehovah Witnesses and the Pentecostal church have been subjected to indiscriminate arrests. The disappearance of a number of Muslims has also been attributed to their religious beliefs. It is estimated that over 1,000 people are currently being detained for their religious activities.

·         Eritrea currently has no NGOs monitoring or reporting on the country’s human rights situation. Although NGOs have been fundamentally restricted since 2001, a law adopted in May 2005 made those constraints official. The NGO Administration Proclamation (No.145/2005) places unreasonable registration requirements on NGOs, deems the activities of NGOs working in areas such as human rights or legal advocacy as subversive and allows for their members to be charged and imprisoned.

We urge African states individually and as members of the African Union to acknowledge and take action on the continued violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, as well as the rights to fair trial and due process of law, by: