A Submission on the Initial Report of the Government of Eritrea (1999 -2016) To the African Commission for Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) 62nd Ordinary Session 25 April – 9 May 2018 By: Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE) [email protected] http://hrc-eritrea.org Table of Content Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Map of Eritrea ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Glossary............................................................................................................................................... 7 A. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 8 B. Background............................................................................................................................... 10 C. Rule of Law - Legal and Institutional Drive for Development - Establishing Political base 11 Transition of Provisional Government of Eritrea (PGE) .......................................................................... 11 EPLF/PFDJ 3rd Congress 1994; G15 Dissidents (2001) ............................................................................. 13 PGE, Constitution, National Assembly Elections....................................................................................... 16 1997 Ratified Constitution ........................................................................................................................... 17 Plans for New Constitution .......................................................................................................................... 18 Transitional Codes /2015 Codes .................................................................................................................. 18 D. Rule of Law – Erosion ............................................................................................................. 19 Judiciary /Special Court .............................................................................................................................. 19 Judiciary /Village/Community Courts ........................................................................................................ 25 Judiciary /Military Courts .......................................................................................................................... 27 Military Justice and 2013 mutiny ................................................................................................................ 29 E. Arbitrary Detention- Extrajudicial Killing – Torture .......................................................... 30 Rights of persons in Detention ..................................................................................................................... 30 Detention – Nay Hadera Prisoners ............................................................................................................. 32 Detention – Arbitrary Arrests ..................................................................................................................... 32 Detention and Torture ................................................................................................................................. 34 Extrajudicial killing ..................................................................................................................................... 37 F. Freedom of Expression- Freedom of Association and Assembly – Freedom of Religion 40 Erosion of Rule Freedom of expression media ........................................................................................... 40 Freedom of Movement ................................................................................................................................. 46 Freedom of Assembly / Association ............................................................................................................. 47 Freedom of Religion ................................................................................................................................. 50 G. National Service.................................................................................................................... 52 National Service and Warsai Yikaalo Development Campaign ................................................................ 52 Militarisation of Education .......................................................................................................................... 54 Hizbawi Serawit – National Defence Units ................................................................................................. 56 Forced Labour .............................................................................................................................................. 56 Underage Recruitment ................................................................................................................................. 58 H. International and Regional Instruments............................................................................ 63 I. Testimony – Eritrea: Ten years of Torture ........................................................................... 66 J. Rule of Law - Political and Democratic Rights ..................................................................... 67 Political party and Electoral law ................................................................................................................. 67 K. Rule of Law - Social and Economic and Cultural Rights ................................................. 69 Grassroots view (Catholic Bishops Pastoral Letter 2014) ......................................................................... 69 Lack of reliable economic data .................................................................................................................... 71 Government Control of the Economy ......................................................................................................... 75 Government Control of the Economy – Killing the Private Construction Industry ............................... 79 1 Government Control of the Economy – Demolish their Houses ............................................................... 80 L. Extractive Industry .................................................................................................................. 82 Government Mining Joint Ventures ........................................................................................................... 82 Bisha Mining Corporation (ENAMCO and Nevsun Resources Ltd) ....................................................... 84 Bisha Share Mining Corporation and surrounding community ............................................................... 87 Mining in Eritrea – the money trail ............................................................................................................ 91 Foreign Exchange – National Currency- Business Licences ........................................................ 92 PFDJ Control of Foreign Exchange ............................................................................................................ 92 Freezing the National Currency .................................................................................................................. 92 Disruption of Business Licence System ....................................................................................................... 94 M. Woman Rights ...................................................................................................................... 95 Women and Forced Labour......................................................................................................................... 95 Young Women Unable to Establish Families ............................................................................................. 96 Women and Prison Conditions .................................................................................................................... 97 Women and Access to Livelihoods .............................................................................................................. 99 Rape and Children who do not know their father ..................................................................................... 99 Women – Freedom of Religion - the Right to Worship ........................................................................... 100 N. Child Right.............................................................................................................................. 100 O. Conclusion........................................................................................................................... 103 P. Recommendations .................................................................................................................. 112 To the Government of Eritrea: For the restoration of free speech ......................................................... 112 For the restoration of checks and balances as required by the rule of law ............................................ 113 For the restoration of personal liberties and a just social order ............................................................. 113 To the African Commission for Human and Peoples Rights: ................................................................