Human rights in Eritrea are viewed, as of the 2020s, by

non-governmental organisation A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

s (NGOs) such as

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

as among the worst in the world, particularly with regards to

freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic Media (communication), media, especially publication, published materials, shoul ...

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

is a

one-party state A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a governance structure in which only a single political party controls the ruling system. In a one-party state, all opposition parties are either outlawed or en ...

in which national legislative elections have been repeatedly postponed, the judiciary is weak, and constitutional provisions protecting individual freedom have yet to be fully implemented. Some Western countries, particularly the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, accuse the

government of Eritrea The politics of Eritrea and the government of Eritrea take place in the framework of a One-party state, single-party Presidential system, presidential republic currently under a Totalitarianism, totalitarian dictatorship. The President of Eri ...

arbitrary arrest and detention Arbitrary arrest and detention is the arrest and detention of an individual in a case in which there is no likelihood or evidence that they committed a crime against legal statute, or in which there has been no proper due process of law or order. ...

s and of detaining an unknown number of people without charge for their political activism. Additionally, Eritrean citizens, both men and women, are forcibly conscripted into the military with an indefinite length of service and used as

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

. The Eritrean government has continuously dismissed the accusations as politically motivated. As an attempt at reform, Eritrean government officials and NGO representatives have participated in numerous public meetings and dialogues. A new movement called Citizens for Democratic Rights in Eritrea, which aimed at bringing about dialogue between the government and opposition, was formed in early 2009.

Overview

Eritrea is a

in which national legislative elections have been repeatedly postponed,. Grassroots International and its

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

record is considered among the worst in the world.Eritrea
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011. U.S. State Department Since Eritrea's conflict with Ethiopia in 1998–2001, Eritrea's human rights record has worsened. Human rights violations are frequently committed by the government or on behalf of the government.

Freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...

, press, assembly, and association are limited. Those that practice "unregistered" religions, try to flee the nation, or escape military duty are arrested and put into

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

According to

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

Eritrea is one of the world's most repressive countries. In recent years, there have been increasing measures to prevent worshippers from practicing their faith. Some of the most prosecuted are

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

, and members of Evangelical congregations. The Eritrean government has shut down their churches, and persecuted many members of the congregations. After independence, President

Isaias Afwerki Isaias Afwerki (, ; born 2 February 1946) is an Eritrean politician and leader who has been the List of heads of state of Eritrea, president of Eritrea since 1993 and the chairman of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) since 1994 ...

's administration denied all basic rights to Jehovah's Witnesses. No members could receive any government assistance, or use any government services. Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to obtain national identification cards, without which they are not allowed to participate in the political and social sphere of Eritrea. National identification cards permit citizens to participate in everyday life, as well as in transactions with the government or any financial institution. The government began to informally allow Jehovah's Witness members to practice their faith within their home. They were still barred from practicing in any public space. Many families fled the country to seek asylum abroad due to mass persecution and imprisonment. According to Amnesty International, there are currently 250 families that have left Eritrea to seek asylum abroad. Domestic and international human rights organizations are not allowed to function in Eritrea. The registered, census-based religions are the

Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church () is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches with its headquarters in Asmara, Eritrea. It was given autocephaly by Shenouda III of Alexandria, pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, after Eritrea gained its in ...

miaphysite Miaphysitism () is the Christological doctrine that holds Jesus, the Incarnate Word, is fully divine and fully human, in one nature (''physis'', ). It is a position held by the Oriental Orthodox Churches. It differs from the Dyophysitism of the ...

Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysitism, Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 50 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to the Nicene Christian ...

denomination), the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, Eritrean

Lutheran Church Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

, and

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. All other religions are persecuted, including other denominations of Islam, such as

Shi'ism Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

, and other denominations of Christianity, such as

and any of the myriad Protestant denominations (other than the Eritrean Lutheran Church). All denominations of Christianity were given

freedom of worship Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

until 2002 when the government outlawed worship and assembly outside the 'registered' denominations.

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

churches in Eritrea have been some of the most persecuted religious groups. For religious groups to participate and freely practice their faith they must apply for registration with the Department of Religious Affairs. The government has seized many churches and religious buildings. In 2003, there was a record number of arrests made on members of Evangelical churches. Law enforcements officials go to different religious gatherings or weddings to carry out mass arrests, "Police singled out religious weddings in homes as occasions to round up believers." It is normal for the government to make followers recant their faith: "The detainees were usually pressured under torture or ill-treatment, with the threat of indefinite detention, to sign a document agreeing to certain conditions of release, such as not to attend religious meetings. Some were reportedly forced to recant their faith and agree to rejoin the Orthodox Church." Many of these religious prisoners were often subjected to secret trials and secret prison sentences. There has been no known reason for the "crackdown" on Evangelical churches, according to Amnesty International, "ongoing crackdown on minority religious groups was never given by the government but it appeared to be partly linked to government action against young people trying to avoid military conscription". Religious prisoners are often tortured in Eritrea.CSW-USA on Eritrea
CSW Freedom of worship is one of the top reasons thousands of Eritreans flee the country. There are thousands of Eritreans in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and the West seeking asylum.

and the press are severely constrained while

freedom of assembly Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right or ability of individuals to peaceably assemble and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their ideas. The right to free ...

, association, movement, and

religion Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...

also are restricted. Besides political opposition, the media were also the target of the regime. In 2001, thirteen

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

s were imprisoned because of their support for dissident ministers. Among them, Fesshaye Yohannes died on January 11, 2007, in Eiraeiro prison located in the northeast of the country. In addition to journalists, hundreds of political and military figures were imprisoned. In 2015, a 500-page UNHRC report detailed allegations of extrajudicial executions, torture, indefinitely prolonged national service and forced labour, and indicated that sexual harassment, rape and prolonged sexual servitude by state officials are also widespread. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' cited the reports catalogue of 'a litany of human rights violations "on a scope and scale seldom witnessed elsewhere"'. The Council also asserted that these violations may amount to crimes against humanity. Barbara Lochbihler, of the

European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights The Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI, after the French name ''Sous-commission des droits de l'homme du Parlement européen'') is a subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament. It is responsible for issues of human ...

said the report detailed 'very serious human rights violations', and indicated that EU funding for development would not continue as at present without change in Eritrea. The Eritrean Foreign Ministry responded by describing the commission's report as "wild allegations" which were "totally unfounded and devoid of all merit". A statement from Eritrean presidential adviser Yemane Gebreab accused the panel of being "entirely one-sided", and indicated that "Eritrea rejects the politically motivated and groundless accusations and the destructive recommendations of the COI. It believes they are an unwarranted attack not only against Eritrea, but also Africa and developing nations." The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report was based on the testimony of 833 anonymous persons purported to be Eritrean. In reaction to this, a significant number of the Eritrean Diaspora population rejected the Commission of Inquiry report. 230,000 Eritreans signed Petitions against the paper and 45,000 Eritreans provided testimonies defending Eritrea, which did not appear in the report. 850 Eritreans asked to present themselves to appear in person in Geneva and give their testimonies to the UNHRC against the paper. In addition, more than 10,000 Eritrean demonstrated against the report in Geneva. Several countries also rejected the report's abrasive language, especially the US and China. At a drafting meeting, U.S. diplomat Eric Richardson said the Eritrea paper did not have "the same level of sophistication and precision" as the report on North Korea and the United States could not support the language of the text without revisions. In addition, Eritrean presidential advisor Yemane blamed Ethiopia for "some of the worst human rights abuses and massacres of its people", saying it was ironic that Ethiopia could use the council to lobby for the adoption of the resolution against Eritrea. Since Eritrea's conflict with Ethiopia in 1998–2001, the nation's human rights record has come under criticism at the United Nations. Human rights violations are allegedly frequently committed by the government or on behalf of the government.

, press, assembly, and association are limited. Those who practice "unregistered" religions, try to flee the nation, or escape military duty are arrested and put into

. During the Struggle for Eritrean Independence, many atrocities were committed by the Ethiopian authorities against unarmed Eritrean civilians (men, women, and children). Roughly, 90,000 Eritrean civilians were killed by the Ethiopian military. During the 1998 Eritrean-Ethiopian War, the EPRDF government also deported and confiscated the private property of 77,000 Eritreans and Ethiopians. The majority of the 77,000 Eritreans and Ethiopians of Eritrean origin were considered well off by the Ethiopian standard of living. They were deported after their belongings had been confiscated. All Eritreans between the ages of 18 and 40 must complete a mandatory national service, which includes military service. Between 10,000 and 25,000 high-school students spend their 12th year of education in one of the countries national service camps, most notable of which is the camp near Sawa. This national service was implemented after Eritrea gained its

independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

from Ethiopia, as a precautionary means to be protected against any threats on Eritrea's

sovereignty Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...

, to instill national pride, and to create a disciplined populace.National service in Eritrea
''Economist''. 10 March 201 Eritrea's national service requires lengthy, indefinite conscription periods, which some Eritreans leave the country in order to avoid. An August 2019

report claimed that the Eritrean secondary education forces students into indefinite military or government jobs and many flee from the country because of this. The organization described the Eritrean education system as a conscription machine that subjects students to systematic abuse, including torture, harsh working conditions and insufficient pay to support their families. In June 2022, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, issued a report critical of the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. Among the violations recorded, forced military conscription, arbitrary arrests, disappearances and torture were common. The report also involved Eritrea's involvement in the armed conflict in

. Eritrean refugees in Ethiopian camps have been kidnapped and forced to fight. On August 7, 2023, a U.N. report by investigator Mohamed Babiker exposed instances of torture, abuse, and forced labor endured by Eritrean refugees and asylum-seekers during indefinite national service. The report shed light on President Isaias Afwerki's authoritarian rule and emphasized how the national service program drives emigration, in the wake of disruptive protests at a Sweden-based Eritrea-themed festival. The nation has also been accused of human rights violations in the Tigray region and implication in the Ethiopian conflict.

Reforms

Eritrean government officials and NGO representatives have participated in numerous public meetings and dialogues. In these sessions they have answered questions as fundamental as, "What are human rights?", "Who determines what are human rights?", and "What should take precedence, human or communal rights?". In 2007, the Eritrean government banned

female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM) (also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision) is the cutting or removal of some or all of the vulva for non-medical reasons. Prevalence of female ge ...

. Regional Assemblies and religious leaders also speak out continuously against the use of female cutting. They cite health concerns and individual freedom as being of primary concern when they say this. Furthermore, they implore rural peoples to cast away this ancient cultural practice. In early 2009, a new movement called Citizens for Democratic Rights in Eritrea aimed at bringing about dialogue between the government and opposition was formed in early 2009. The group consists of ordinary citizens and some people close to the government. The movement was launched at a two-day conference in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, after previous attempts at dialogue failed.

Freedom House

Eritrea was considered "not free" according to the

Freedom House Freedom House is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. It is best known for political advocacy surrounding issues of democracy, Freedom (political), political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, wi ...

Freedom in the World 2022 report, scoring 1/40 on political rights and 2/60 on civil liberties.Freedom House Freedom in the World 2022
/ref>

Historical situation

The following is a chart of Eritrea's ratings since 1993 in the

Freedom in the World ''Freedom in the World'' is a yearly survey and report by the U.S.-based non-governmental organization Freedom House that measures the degree of civil liberties and political rights in every nation and significant related and disputed territ ...

reports, published annually by

. A rating of 1 is "free"; 7, "not free".

International treaties

Eritrea's stances on international human rights treaties are as follows:

Notes

:1.Note that the "Year" signifies the "Year covered". Therefore the information for the year marked 2008 is from the report published in 2009, and so on. :2.As of 24 May (Independence Day) in 1993; 1 January thereafter. :3.The 1982 report covers the year 1981 and the first half of 1982, and the following 1984 report covers the second half of 1982 and the whole of 1983. In the interest of simplicity, these two aberrant "year and a half" reports have been split into three year-long reports through interpolation.

References

External links

2023 Human rights report
by

Freedom in the World 2012 Report
by

World Report 2012
by

Report of the commission of inquiry on human rights in Eritrea

United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a United Nations Regional Gro ...

Report, 8 June 2015 {{Eritrea topics Society of Eritrea Politics of Eritrea Government of Eritrea