Eritrea: UN Commission has urged referral to the International Criminal Court
By Martin Plaut GENEVA (28 October 2016) – States must heed the pleas of countless victims of crimes against humanity for justice and accountability, Sheila Keetharuth of the former UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights
By Martin Plaut
GENEVA (28 October 2016) – States must heed the pleas of countless victims of crimes against humanity for justice and accountability, Sheila Keetharuth of the former UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in Eritrea urged the UN General Assembly today. The Commission has recommended that the situation in Eritrea be referred to the International Criminal Court.
Speaking for the Commission of Inquiry, Keetharuth, who is also UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, highlighted the Commission’s clear findings that crimes against humanity have been committed since 1991 by Eritrean officials, adding that such a dire assessment left no room for “business as usual” in the international community’s engagement with the Government of Eritrea.
“The crimes of enslavement, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, other inhumane acts, persecution, rape and murder have been committed as part of a widespread and systematic campaign against the civilian population. The aim of the campaign has been to maintain control over the population and perpetuate the leadership’s rule in Eritrea,” Keetharuth told the UN General Assembly.
“The Commission has concluded that the Government of Eritrea has neither the political will nor the institutional capacity to prosecute the crimes we have documented. The Commission therefore recommends that the UN Security Council refer the situation in Eritrea to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and that the African Union establish an accountability mechanism.”
“My plea to you, Excellencies, on behalf of the three members of the former Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, Mike Smith, Victor Dankwa and myself, is for you to pay heed to voices of victims of crimes against humanity in Eritrea.”
Keetharuth said the Commission had found that there was no material change in the country that could potentially have a positive effect on the situation of human rights.
“There is still no constitution, no parliament where laws are discussed, enacted, and where questions of national importance are debated; indefinite national service persists, with its adverse impacts on individual rights; there is no free press and no NGOs, except for Government-sponsored ones. The population lives in fear and the Government still controls their daily life, making the enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all Eritreans a remote possibility,” she said.
She noted that while several foreign delegations, journalists and others had been invited to visit Eritrea over the past year, the rampant human rights violations taking place in isolated locations and detention facilities were not apparent to the casual visitor.
Keetharuth noted that Eritreans were among the largest numbers of African nationals seeking asylum in Europe and that the overall recognition rate for Eritrean asylum seekers in European countries remained high.
“The findings of the Commission underscore that it is not safe to forcibly return those who have left Eritrea. The Commission, in its first report, documented that individuals forcibly repatriated, with a few exceptions, have been arrested, detained and subjected to ill-treatment and torture,” she said.
“I appeal to Member States to grant Eritreans access to their territory and asylum procedures. I strongly reiterate my call to protect all Eritrean asylum-seekers from refoulement and to refrain from any forced repatriation to Eritrea or to third countries where they may still be at risk or unwelcomed.”
Hidat October 30, 2016
Hidat Mattheew………Russell…………Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…..Innere city pressss………….esa tiakilekeee eya. Sheila shiluu.
guest October 30, 2016
There is human right violation in Eritrea, no one can deny that. The state of Eritrea is run by a dictator and its obedient generals. But does that warrant UN sponsored COI which is a cover to remove Eritrean sovereignty so that the western trained mercenaries named Amisom can march on beautiful Eritrea and turn it upside down like they did in Somalia? NO WAY! Even those true Eritreans who hate Isaias would never allow it.
Ask yourselves why they target Eritrea but not Ethiopia where there is an active genocide? Ask why they didn’t target Israel where there is an active Apartheid. The answer is simple they are friends of the West and they only go after small African countries to control resources. Our access to red sea is a resource they crave.
So my suggestion is if you want to change the GOE, stop working with foreigners and unite yourself and demand change just like the Ethiopians are doing!
Z. Hagos October 30, 2016
To Koubrom and guest,
..
As pro-crimes-committed and pro-slavery individuals, you are not expected to have the needed freedom of choice to stand for truth and others’ rights. Your conclusions are always the same like that of your criminal master, who always blames his crimes and failures on others.
..
By speaking against the truth and by shifting the blame on the victims of the tyrant, you are only trying to perpetuate the sufferings of the Eritrean people. You keep praising the criminals for their actions against the innocents and we will keep condemning the criminals for their actions until the day they are arrested and tried at the ICC courts for the crimes they committed.
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Your stand against COIE and specifically against the great Ms. Sheilla is a shame on your respected parents. Our wise parents are remembered as saying that, “ignorance is the root cause of all human sufferings.” And, that you’re being ignorant of our people’s sufferings at the hands of the tyrant and his generals make you one of the root causes for the crimes committed in Eritrea. See, by your support of criminals and saying what you are saying in support of the criminals, you are among those criminals waiting to stand a trial and to prove innocence. What you are saying here, today, may be used against you damaging your innocence.
..
Imagine, when all Eritreans are standing together as one person against the abuses and crimes committed in Eritrea, you are here to voice your support for the brutality and cruelty of those who are committing crimes against humanity in Eritrea. Indeed, you must be an addict to abusing and seeing Eritreans in pains and sufferings. What kind of sick persons??????
koubrom November 1, 2016
See, you guys said fight for democracy, freedom of speech, and yet your threatening me for my comment some I deserve icc,hypocrite like your handler weyane, go fight for like a man if you can instead of leaning on the coi report for change in eritrea you are a disgrace any way speeching about true check how bias she was about the sanction by deflecting on arm embargo, by the way she has been rejected that fat garbage
guest October 30, 2016
Z-hagos: I smell Fishy. I am certain you are Woyane crying a crocodile tears. You may be able to fool some people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all of the time. Thanks to WikiLeaks we have seen all the plots Melees with Western diplomats has been cooking for us. So you are wasting your time and money on these useless efforts by buying Journalists and UN thugs. This is a new era of WikiLeaks, Facebook, and twitter so get with the time.
One question about the author of this article Martin Plaut. He claim to be a specialist of horn Africa, how come he doesn’t write any criticism about Ethiopian genocide? Ethiopia isn’t in Horn Africa? Or is he in the parole of Woyane? I rest my case!
Mike October 30, 2016
guest, We smell double Fishy. Chauvinism and superiority complex become the worst brain pollutants and are hard to get rid off.
Now, should we also say we are certain that you are “pure” Eritrean from Mars playing crocodile politics. Sick and tired of skunis type of Eritrean politics .
Spare us from your outdated I know everything and I’ve been everywhere bluffs. Stop philosophizing and write about Ethiopian genocide if you are really that concerned or interested.
guest October 30, 2016
It is time for real Eritreans to unite and demand change in Eritrea. A change by peaceful means similar to what Oromians in Ethiopia pursuing. If we are united Isyasys can’t stop a united force. Unfortunately Woyane and those self-serving religious and tribal zealots have been spoiling it for us. The more Woyane try to intrude in our affairs the more real Eritreans distance themselves and so far Isaias has benefited from this scenario. I ask it is time we listen to the voices who cry Eritrean problem must be handled by Eritreans!
Mike October 30, 2016
Lets not be alarmed by the vulgar bahaviour of “guest of Mars”. He is just a typical village boy or more like old skunis from what is now labelled as “pure” Eritrea who confuses his village chauvinism and ethno-religious centrism with foreign nationalism.
“Insanity : doing the same thing (blaming others in this case) over and over again and expecting different results”. Albert Einstein. Therefore, those who do not learn from past are pretty much already doomed. For decades you blamed Ethiopians or Woyane for not allowing your so-called independence (slavery for true and genuine Eritreans), yet you are refusing to move on despite the fact they (Woyanes) were the first to sign you off and have in fact forgotten you as though you never existed.
Now, learn not to mix up politics with fiction to your satisfaction and imaginary world. It is rightly said that “powerless people can get scared of freedom”. Don’t be one of them scared, coward, hypocrite and opportunist so-called opposition scared to death of freedom.
Alem October 31, 2016
If u admit iseyas and his generals have committed crime in the past 25 yrs, then why should it matter whether they are called criminals by UN or not. They are criminals regardless who calls them by their true names (ie. criminals).. Of course it is us who need to figure out the most potent and effective way to rid them and establish a country where ideas and opinions are respected, debated and the best ones are selected and implemented. Strength always comes from welcoming d/t ideas and debating ideas not from silencing the entire people. That did not work in Arab world or ethiopia and will not work in our eritrea. In fact it does the opposite. Eritreans are now fed up and are saying enough. It is upto them to confess admit and request for pardon from the very people they have abused for decades. If not they will face the rage soon. It is inevitable. Demoralizing the young by keeping them in trenches and the old in the cities will backfire soon.
To those who pretend to be against crimes but preach UN has other agenda, we have a message. blow out ur head. We shall not rest till each one of u faces justice before mob justice in eritrea by the abused people.
koubrom November 1, 2016
Tell me what about what did his basic ginbar did to you ,honestly? ?
Your hatred against those who shade their blood for freedom it’s in imaginable. I know you dream a chaos in our country issayas is just a cover you dream a fail state like irak ,libya, syria,Afghanistan.
You are a disgrace not even human being, pathological lier .
Your sheila will put one feet in our country that animal she want to instigate war against our people.
Ghirmay October 31, 2016
The quagmire that Eritrea is in today is directly related to what transpired during the 40s, 50s and 60s
and the ideological beliefs that the forefathers of the Eritrean liberation movements espoused.
However, a people that for a long time fought for justice and freedom are now being subjected to injustice.
Wedi Hagher October 31, 2016
The only way for Eritreans to live in peace and free from oppression in their own homeland is to remove the fascist junta from power and hand over power to people.
Unfortunately, there is no easy to do that now, because the regime believes in military might and that simply means, no amount of international pressure or demonstrations will persuade then to leave the political stage peacefully. They enjoy wars and do business with warlords.
This sad reality should not discourage Eritreans from doing their job without expecting anything good from outsiders, in particular Ethiopia which has huge geopolitical interests in seeing Eritrea failing.
If we cannot solve our problems without inviting outsiders we better think hundreds of times before taking any haste decisions that may have regrettable consequences later on.
We need to strength our unity because that is the most important thing priority now.
If we fail to do that we will find ourselves fighting each other. In times of crisis national unity is the first strategic priority of a nation. The implication of lack of unity are immense challenges that could cost our people a lot of valuable resources and life. Higdef in its final days will declare total war on the people, and as part of that may also instigating a sectarian war in the country. They are highly sophisticated polarizers, they could teach British colonialists the art of divisive tactics.
Sol October 31, 2016
They are highly sophisticated polarizers, they could teach British colonialists the art of divisive tactics.
Well said brother, that is the plain truth which DIA is exploiting till now.
koubrom November 1, 2016
So coi was about regime change not about justice right,
It was just a covert for their dirty agenda ,
guest October 31, 2016
Mike,
Isayas is an equal opportunity dictator. The highland Eritreans actually suffered more under Isyias. They are the one who perished in large numbers in Egypt, Libya and the meditation sea. So your attempt to paint me as chauvinist is typical talking point for a Woyane cadre sent here to divide Eritreasn across ethnic and religious lines. You have failed in Ethiopia and you won’t be successful in Eritrea so go away Woyane!
Alem October 31, 2016
Guest
U totally confused or u are deliberately misrepresenting facts. UNCOI is not targeting eritrea or Eritreans. It is iseyas and a few generals and inner higdef circles who directly committed crimes and ordered crimes who are targeted. Simple and clear. If u stand against crimes, support it. If u are one of higdefits oppose it. Hundreds of thousands of Eritreans have marched in Geneva supporting it. Millions supported it with their hurts. These are facts too bitter for u to swallow. I believe u are not against crimes being committed in eritrea for a reason. U are trying to divide those who are standing against crimes and criminals in eritrea. We’ll try to swallow the bitter truth. Eritreans will use everything to rid off the criminals.