Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur Renewed

The mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur (SR) on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Ms. Sheila B. Keetharuth, has been renewed for another year, by a resolution adopted today by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. Needless to say, the resolution was adopted by consensus, as has been the case since July 2012, when the Council appointed the SR. This will be the SR’s last year of mandate with regard to her responsibilities related to the situation of human rights in Eritrea. Since her appointment, the SR has served diligently and in an exemplary fashion, for which many pro-democracy Eritreans, including ELS, are very grateful. Over and above renewing the mandate of the SR, the HRC resolution of 23 June 2017 strongly condemned “the reported systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations and abuses that have been and are being committed by the Government of Eritrea […]

ELS at the 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva

Over the last five years, the month of June has been the most important month of the year for the on-going fight of ending impunity in Eritrea. On 14 June 2017, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea (Ms. Sheila B. Keetharuth) conducted an Interactive Dialogue (ID) at the 35th Session of the HRC. This was essentially presentation of the Special Rapporteur’s latest report on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, followed by questions and comments from the HRC, including statements made by several Eritrean and non-Eritrean human rights defenders and civil society actors. All of them made calls on the HRC to adopt stringent measures that can help in ending the pervasive culture of impunity in Eritrea. In the morning hours of 14 June 2017, there was a side event (panel discussion) organised by a broad-based coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs), including […]

Renewing The Mandate Of The UN Special Rapporteur In Eritrea

To Permanent Representatives of Members and Observer States of the UN Human Rights Council Geneva, 5 June 2017 RE: Renewing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea  Your Excellencies, We, the undersigned civil society organisations, write to urge your delegation to co-sponsor a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea at the forthcoming 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. In view of the ongoing crimes under international law, including torture, enslavement and enforced disappearances, and violations of fundamental freedoms committed in Eritrea, the Special Rapporteur’s mandate remains an indispensable mechanism to advance the protection and promotion of human rights in Eritrea. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur was established at the 20th UN Human Rights Council Session in 2012 to monitor the human rights situation in Eritrea. From June 2014-June 2016, the […]

Side Event at the 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

ELS is joining hands with a number of civil society organizations in hosting a side event on Eritrea during the 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. The side event will take place in the morning hours of 14 June 2017, from 10am to 11am, in Room XXVII, Palais des Nations or UNOG (United Nations Office at Geneva). The theme of the side event is “Exploring the Contours of Universal Jurisdiction to Pursue Accountability for Crimes against Humanity in Eritrea.” In the afternoon hours of the same day, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Ms. Sheila B. Keetharuth, will have an interactive dialogue at the HRC The side event is co-sponsored by the following civil society organizations: Amnesty International CIVICUS DefendDefenders Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA) Eritrea Focus Eritrean Law Society (ELS) Eritrean Lowlanders League (ELL) Eritrean Movement for Democracy and […]

Press release