COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT ERITREA 8 JUNE 2010 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE ERITREA 8 JUNE 2010 Contents Preface Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 1.01 Maps .............................................................................................. 1.06 2. ECONOMY ............................................................................................. 2.01 3. HISTORY ............................................................................................... 3.01 Independence and Transitional Government 1991-1993 .......... 3.02 The People’s Front for Democracy and Justice and constitutional developments 1994-2001 .................................... 3.04 Border conflict with Ethiopia 1998-2000 .................................... 3.07 Border tensions with neighbouring countries, 2005-2009 ....... 3.09 Domestic political developments from September 2001 to August 2009 .................................................................................. 3.15 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (DECEMBER 2009 - JUNE 2010) ...................... 4.01 Useful sources for further information...................................... 4.05 5. CONSTITUTION ...................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................ 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES................................................................................. 8.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 8.01 Police............................................................................................. 8.02 Armed forces ................................................................................ 8.03 Human rights violations by the security forces ........................ 8.07 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 8.07 Torture ....................................................................................... 8.09 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 8.14 Avenues of complaint .................................................................. 8.15 9. MILITARY AND NATIONAL SERVICE.......................................................... 9.01 Legislative background ............................................................... 9.01 Military and National Service in practice.................................... 9.11 Payment for national service ...................................................... 9.15 Penalties for evading national service ....................................... 9.16 Round-ups (Giffa)......................................................................... 9.24 Authorised leave .......................................................................... 9.29 Conscientious objection.............................................................. 9.30 School leavers and conscription ................................................ 9.32 Exemptions ................................................................................... 9.34 Overview.................................................................................... 9.34 Exemption of women ................................................................. 9.36 Exemptions on medical grounds................................................ 9.44 Exemption of religious clerics.................................................... 9.46 Detention of national service and military service conscripts. 9.50 Demobilisation.............................................................................. 9.51 10. JUDICIARY........................................................................................... 10.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 10.01 Independence ............................................................................... 10.02 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 8 June 2010. 8 JUNE 2010 ERITREA Fair trial ......................................................................................... 10.03 11. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS............................................ 11.01 12. PRISON CONDITIONS............................................................................ 12.01 Places of detention ...................................................................... 12.07 13. DEATH PENALTY.................................................................................. 13.01 14. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ....................................................................................... 14.01 Freedom of political expression ................................................. 14.02 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 14.03 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 14.04 Opposition groups in exile .......................................................... 14.06 15. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ........................................................ 15.01 Overview........................................................................................ 15.01 Restrictions on the broadcasting and print media.................... 15.02 Restrictions on the use of the Internet ....................................... 15.07 Treatment of journalists............................................................... 15.09 16. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ............ 16.01 17. CORRUPTION....................................................................................... 17.01 18. FREEDOM OF RELIGION........................................................................ 18.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 18.01 Arrests and detentions ................................................................ 18.05 Muslims ......................................................................................... 18.11 The Orthodox Church of Eritrea.................................................. 18.13 The Roman Catholic Church ....................................................... 18.18 Jehovah’s Witnesses ................................................................... 18.21 ‘Evangelical’ Churches ................................................................ 18.23 General information ................................................................... 18.23 Menfesawyan “spirituals” ........................................................... 18.28 Other groups.............................................................................. 18.32 19. ETHNIC GROUPS .................................................................................. 19.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 19.01 Languages .................................................................................... 19.02 Afar/Danakils ................................................................................ 19.06 Baria/Nara ..................................................................................... 19.10 Hedareb/Beja/Beni Amber/Beni Amer ........................................ 19.11 Bilen/Bogos .................................................................................. 19.12 Kunama ......................................................................................... 19.14 Rashaida ....................................................................................... 19.19 Saho............................................................................................... 19.20 Tigrinya ......................................................................................... 19.23 Jiberti/Djiberti/Jeberty ................................................................. 19.24 Tigre/Tegre.................................................................................... 19.26 20. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS....................... 20.01 21. DISABILITY .......................................................................................... 21.01 22. WOMEN............................................................................................... 22.01 Legal and political rights ............................................................. 22.01 Social and economic rights......................................................... 22.03 Marriage..................................................................................... 22.05 Violence against women.............................................................. 22.07 Trafficking of women.................................................................. 22.11 23. CHILDREN .......................................................................................... 23.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 23.01 Basic legal information ............................................................. 23.03 Legal rights ................................................................................... 23.04 Judicial and penal systems........................................................ 23.05