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Press Release CONSTITUTIONALISM IS THE ONLY WAY OUT Eritrea has been under de-facto state of emergency since 2001. The de-facto state of emergency has been used and abused by security apparatus of the Eritrean government. To date, the Eritrean government continue to refuse to implement the Eritrean constitution and restore the National Assembly that was abruptly dissolved in 2003. Consequently, the Eritrean government has been functioning without any meaningful structure and form of a government. The absence of constitutionalism and lack of structured government has become the source of untold public misery.The Eritrean government continued to use the unsettled border dispute as a justification to continue the de-facto state of emergency. This strategy is, however, destructive and has caused irreparable damages to the Eritrean people. Frustrated citizens are fleeing the country in droves. The frustration of the citizens, however, took different turn recently. It was reported on January 21, 2013, members of the Eritrean Defense Forces occupied the Ministry of Information and demanded the Director of Eritrean National TV to read their demands – implementation of the constitution and release political prisoners!We believe that the January 21, 2013 incident could be a perfect opportunity for Eritrean government to capitalize on the situation and express its readiness to implement the Eritrean constitution unconditionally and abide by rule of law. The Eritrean people had proven through thirty years of armed struggle for their independence and freedom that they are capable of handling multiple tasks at the same time. The Eritrean people could defend their country while building economically prosperous and political developed nation.  The January 21, 2013, incident proves that the attitude of the Eritrean government that “political development will be stalled so long as the border dispute is not settled” would have dangerous consequences.  Accordingly, the Eritrean Law Society calls up on other peace loving Eritreans to join forces to bring peaceful democratic change in Eritrea as constitutionalism is the only way out.  Eritrean Law Society is a no partisan, non-political and non-profit organization established to advance human rights, rule of law, democracy and constitutional governance.February 11, 2013 Eritrean Law Society Eritrean Law Society participated regional meeting Mr. Michael Andegeorigs, the executive director of Eritrean Law Society, participated the launching of the Pan African Lawyers Union – African Legal Support Facility Project on International Commercial Law in Africa, which was held in Kigali, Rwanda on February 11 and 12, 2011. Pan African Layers Union (PALU) is the umbrella association of African lawyers and law societies. It brings together the continent’s five regional and fifty-three national lawyer’s associations, as well as individual lawyer-members. PALU’s mission is to work towards the development of the law and legal profession, the rule of law, human rights and socio-economic development of the African continent, including through supporting African regional integration. PALU is a member of General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC-AU); in addition, its President, Barrister Akere T. Muna, is the Presiding Officer of ECOSOCC-AU. The African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) is an international organization, established by Treaty, under the auspices of the African Development Bank, and based in Tunis, Tunisia. It aims at providing African countries with access to sound legal advice and technical assistance to strengthen their negotiating capacity in matters pertaining to the negotiation of complex commercial transactions and for the resolution of commercial creditor litigation….(more) ELS In PALU Eritrean Law Society participated the launching of the Pan African Lawyers Union – African Legal Support Facility Project on International Commercial Law in Africa, which was held in Kigali, Rwanda on February 11 and 12, 2011.Pan African Layers Union (PALU) is the umbrella association of African lawyers and law societies. It brings together the continent’s five regional … (read more) Hamas torturing 250 Eritreans in Egypt Approximately 250 Eritrean refugees have been held captive and tortured for the past month by Hamas in northern Sinai, human rights organization EveryOne reported. The Italian-based organization sent an urgent plea to the Egyptian government last Thursday, claiming that the refugees, who were making their way to Israel to seek asylum, were captured by human traffickers … (read more) Letter to Governor Robert Mcdonnell The Honorable Governor Robert McDonnell,I am writing on behalf of the Eritrean Law Society (ELS), a non for profit organization incorporated by Eritrean-Americans and Eritreans in the state of Virginia. The objectives of the Eritrean Law Society include, inter alia, to assist Eritrean refugees adapt and integrate into American society; provide free or low cost immigration services; … (read more)