I also welcome the release, on 4 December 2020, of 24 Jehovahs Witnesses, including the three conscientious objectors, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years, and whose cases were highlighted by the former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea in her statement during the presentation of her report to the Human Rights Council in June 2020, and her interactive dialogue with the UN General Assembly on 26 October 2020. The national service requirements oblige all secondary school students in the country to complete their final year at the Warsai Yekalo Secondary School, located in the Sawa military camp, and to undertake mandatory military training for approximately five months of that year. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea (Report A/HRC/41/53) May 16, 2019. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/G1914037.pdf. Eritrea continues to have no national assembly to adopt laws, including those regulating fundamental rights and the right of the Eritrean people to participate freely in the public life of their country. Numerous Jehovahs Witnesses took part in these alternative options under different government administrations. On 1 February, 21 female and 43 male prisoners were released from Mai Serwa and Adi Abeito prisons, close to the capital city, Asmara. 'Jesus Revolution' leaves out the tough stuff but gets the music right, Mark Wahlberg gives lessons on fasting during Lent, Sacked chaplain to appeal after losing employment tribunal case. I am concerned that the conditions in the camp have impact on the right to education. Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam were detained on Sept. 17, 1994, apparently because they conscientiously objected to military service, according to a report published. "Our families spent the whole evening together. unfolding crisis in Tigray, including by imposing arms embargoes on the warring Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. I am in tears . The men's families appealed for help to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, but the Eritrean government has ignored their request to allow lawyers, family members, and doctors to visit the three prisoners. Unconfirmed reports have suggested that there have been a series of fatal assaults committed against citizens in Tigray, a predominantly-Christian northernmost region of Ethiopia. detained. Dennis Christensen and many otherstoo. Press briefing note on Myanmar/Bangladesh - Rohingya, UN expert implores Myanmars Suu Kyi: open your eyes, listen, feel with your heart, National institutions and regional mechanisms. Update: This article has been updated to reflect a clarification from Jehovah's Witnesses spokesperson Gilles Pichaud in his statement. As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years.In addition, 39 men and 10 women who are Witnesses are also imprisoned. This year has really had a lot of unexpected events. In recent years, several human rights bodies have expressed increasing concern over Eritrea's treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses. In what could be an attempt to distract the attention of the international community from Eritreas role in the ongoing war in the Tigray region in neighboring Ethiopia, the Eritrean government last Monday released 21 female and 43 male prisoners from Mai Serwa and Adi Abeito prisons near the capital city of Asmara, CSW reported. It is my honour to present my first oral update to the Council since taking up the role of Special Rapporteur last November 2020. Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years, and whose Interesting article from the Experiences of Jehovahs Witnesses series. You can unsubscribe at any time. On Dec. 4, the government released 24 Jehovahs Witnesses, including conscientious objectors Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years. Just shows how things can change for the better all of a sudden. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, approximately 20,000 Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to work in government offices, and the state takes away their identity cards. All 52 Jehovahs Witnesses in prison in Eritrea have never been charged, appeared in court, or sentenced. I call on Eritrean authorities to put an end to such treatments and comply with their international human rights obligations. Brothers Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam were released after 26 years of imprisonment.They were put in Prison for refusing Military Service. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26795&LangID=E, Eritrea one of the least accessible countries for humanitarian organisations, Searches, Arrests, and Tension in Eritrea, Eritreas jailed journalist exhibition opens in UK Parliament, Dispute over Patriach splits Norwegian Orthodox church in two, Twenty one years after being jailed, Eritreas independent journalists are remembered in the British Parliament. "The courage of these three men, along with the other 39 men and 10 women, imprisoned in Eritrea for refusing to compromise their faith have been an inspiration to Jehovah's Witnesses all around the world," Pichaud told Newsweek, adding that the church has requested a meeting with President Afwerki. Stand up for Human Rights. Saddleback Church doubles down on support for female pastors, Mormonisms slow shift away from demonizing working mothers, Faith leaders urge Biden to sign executive order for reparations study by Juneteenth, For many congregations, wiping out medical debt has become a popular calling, Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. Eritrea continues to have no national assembly to adopt laws, including those regulating fundamental rights and the right of the Eritrean people to participate freely in the public life of their country. and orthodox backgrounds were recently released from three prisons in In addition, 39 men and 10 women who. Jehovah's Witnesses are required to remain politically neutral as part of their faith, abstaining from voting, running for office and partaking in military service. More commonly though, they arrested individuals for undisclosed reasons. currently accessible; however, in January 2021 satellite imagery revealed that Finally, since my appointment, I have not yet had the opportunity to meet with Eritrean officials. Cant wait to hear more about this. The UN Human Rights Office and the mechanisms we support work on a wide range of human rights topics. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, Negede Teklamarium most of all. genocide. I also welcome the release, on 4 December 2020, of 24 Jehovahs Witnesses, including the three conscientious objectors, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years, and whose cases were highlighted by the former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea in her statement during the presentation of her report to the Human Rights Council in June 2020, and her interactive dialogue with the UN General Assembly on 26 October 2020. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The majority of the imprisoned male Jehovahs Witnesses are incarcerated indefinitely, with no hope of release until they die or are near death. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. . One man who tried to escape from a military camp was kept in this position for two weeks, while a soldier who refused an order was tied for four hours. While the releases have been warmly welcomed, there is also speculation Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Today or rather yesterday is going to be a good day and one to remember for a long time. Loopy Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I canimagine a broadcast in the coming months containinginterviews with these faithful brothers and sisters. On December 4, 2020, 26 brothers and 2 sisters in Eritrea were set free after being imprisoned for their faith. [4] General Assembly of the United Nations, Situation of human rights in Eritrea. dallas stars skating academy ballet rosa ambassador. to the UN Third Committee in New York in October 2020. PaulosEyassu, Isaac Mogos, Negede Teklamarium most of all. The women were arrested for worshiping in public, a video of which was shared by some on social media, CSW said. In 2013, Amnesty International researcher Claire Beston called Eritrea "one of the most repressive, secretive and inaccessible countries in the world.". Turning to the issue of the human rights situation in Eritrea, since October 2020, I have seen no concrete evidence of progress or actual improvement in the human rights situation in the country. orange and black striped caterpillar australia; why is wcco off the air. We offer publicity space for Catholic groups/organisations. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. paulos eyasu, isaac mogos and negede teklemariam releasedherramientas usadas para taller paulos eyasu, isaac mogos and negede teklemariam released. With no beauracracy or lengthy procedure - just released suddenly! The Parliament demanded that all prisoners of conscience in Eritrea be immediately and unconditionally released and that the Eritrean Government provide detailed information on the fate and whereabouts of all those deprived of physical liberty. ", In one case of torture at Sawa, a witness said unsuccessful deserters were tied to a corpse: One had been shot running away, the other two had their hands tied to the feet of the dead person. She saw trucks being loaded with boxes of looted items that were to be delivered to places in Eritrea. As of 1 June 2020, HRWF documented 55 cases of Jehovahs Witnesses in its Prisoners Database,[2] 46 men and 9 women. In a sudden turn of events, the man himself was put in prison. As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years. See brochure: SPECIAL REPORT: The Persecution of Jehovahs Witnesses in Eritrea.. ( As I have their names memorized)! However, this good news must not obscure the Eritrean regimes continued complicity in egregious violations of human rights, both within its own borders and now in Tigray.. refugees from Hitsat and Shimelba camps are currently missing. He was a very honest, hardworking, upright man. [3] European Parliament, Resolution on the cases of Abune Antonios and Dawit Isaak (2017/2755(RSP)) July 6, 2017. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-8-2017-0309_EN.html. I am also concerned about allegations of possible implication of Eritrean troops in cases of serious human rights violations, including acts of abductions, forceful or unvoluntary return of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers, and their imprisonment in different prisons in Eritrea. There are no reliable figures on religious affiliation, but it is estimated that 49% of the population are Christian and 49% are Sunni Muslim.[1]. A number of beliefs and practices of Jehovahs Witnesses have been perceived negatively by the current government. The country lacks rule of law, a constitution and an independent judiciary to enforce the protection of and respect for human rights. It hurt my heart to know that the best years of their lives were completely wasted in prison. re-designate Eritrea as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for engaging in systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom; impose targeted sanctions on Eritrean government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals assets and/or barring their entry into the US under human rights related financial and visa authorities; use bilateral and multilateral diplomatic channels to urge the government of Eritrea to: release unconditionally detainees held on account of their religious activities; publish the registration law for religious groups along with clear guidelines for applying for or appealing decisions; end religious persecution of unregistered religious communities and grant full citizenship rights to Jehovahs Witnesses. I also ( suspiciously) wonder why this is happening now? They hav, Sorry sister,but did you quote that from Wikipedia or have you actually been exposed to East African culture? Around 3,000 former residents of Shimelba and Hitsat have reportedly managed to reach Mai Aini, one of the two remaining camps for Eritrean refugees in Tigray. I am concerned that the conditions in the camp have impact on the right to education. A proper head is, as Webster's New Third International Dictionary describes, "one who stands in relation to others somewhat as the head does to other members of the body . However, since this presidential decree, security forces have imprisoned, tortured, and harassed Jehovahs Witnesses in an effort to force them to renounce their faith. Finally, since my appointment, I have not yet had the opportunity to meet with Eritrean officials. It is also alleged that military officials in Sawa subject students to ill-treatment and harsh punishments, including corporal punishment, and students undertake forced labour. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-report-on-international-religious-freedom/eritrea/, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-8-2017-0309_EN.html, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/G1914037.pdf, https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Egypt.pdf, https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Eritrea.pdf, Human Rights Without Frontiers International. managed to reach Mai Aini, one of the two remaining camps for Eritrean refugees A man came to Norway as a refugee from Eritrea in 2011. Since there are no effective domestic legal procedures or remedies available to them, their imprisonment amounts to a de facto life sentence. isaac mogos and negede teklemariam released . The situation of detainees and political prisoners is particularly concerning. There were over 96,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray before the crisis, living largely in four refugee camps, including Hitsats, Mai-Aini, Adi Harush, and Shemelba. Since gaining independence, Eritrea's government has required indefinite national service by physically able adults between 18 and 70 years of age. The national service requirements oblige all secondary school students in the country to complete their final year at the Warsai Yekalo Secondary School, located in the Sawa military camp, and to undertake mandatory military training for approximately five months of that year. I am also concerned of the imapact of the national serice on the right to educaiton of Eritrean students. The JW's doctrine of political neutrality has led to imprisonment of members who refused conscription. It was very painful to lose such a friend. None of the three have been charged or granted a hearing. On 28 January 2021, in my letter to the Government of Ethiopia, I called on the Ethiopian authorities to protect the human rights of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in the Tigray region, and to ensure respect for their rights under human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. On Jan. 27, six female prisoners, who had been in detention since last September, in Dekemhare, which is southeast of Asmara, were also released. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, Evangelical church redirects payments after CofE gay blessing vote, Evangelical church pursues alternative oversight after CofE same-sex blessing vote. In addition, 39 men and 10 women who are . Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, among others, have been imprisoned for over 20 years for their Christian faith. Since then, national presidential or legislative elections have never taken place. parties, and sanctions on the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea, who bear Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. I urge the Eritrean authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all of those who remain in prison because of their faith or belief. It is also not acceptable for Eritrea to arbitrary detain political opponents in secret prisons without charge or trial in violation of human rights standards. Special Procedures, 46rd Session of the Human Rights Council. In my update today, I will focus on the (a) the human rights of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in the context of the ongoing Tigray crisis in Ethiopia, which added a new complicated dynamic in monitoring the human rights of the Eritrean people, and (b) the progress made in relation to the benchmarks set out in the reports of my predecessor. On December 4, 2020, 26 brothers and 2 sisters in Eritrea were set free after being imprisoned for their faith. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. It is difficult to speak of progress in Eritrea while their cases remain unresolved. According to July 2018 estimates by the US government, the total population of Eritrea is six million. I am in tears . In 2017, they were transferred to Mai Serwa prison, where they were allowed visitors for the first time, according to Human Rights Watch. both had been extensively and deliberately destroyed. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. trial, and should never have been incarcerated. international community to press Eritrea for the immediate and unconditional release With one recent exception, those imprisoned have never had the opportunity to offer a defence in court. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 1940s First communities of Jehovah's Witnesses are established in Eritrea. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". All have maintained uncompromising integrity to Jehovah God. Eritrea is the center point of some of the most intense persecution of Jehovahs Witnesses in modern times. Ive prayed for these brothers and sisters ( often by name ) for many years. Eritreas president, Isaias Afewerki, is a member of the Eritrean Orthodox Church in Asmara belonging to the largest among the only three Christian denominations allowed to function in the country. This week marked 25 years in prison without charges or trial for three men in Eritrea. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Your email address will not be published. Finally to the clandestine world of art fraud and African artefacts, which are being sold to unsuspecting buyers, thanks to the fake UNESCO stamp they . My wife work in the same company as family members of one of the 3 brothers who have been in prison for so long time. However, 75-year-old Afewerki, the leader of the ruling Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice Party, has the reputation of being an alcoholic and a ruthless autocrat. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Of the Jehovahs Witnesses currently imprisoned, 16 are known to have been arrested for conscientious objection to military service. They were released after 26 years on February 5th, 2021. We are a pro-JW community maintained by brothers and sisters around the world. This is fantastically great news when so little news is good. You can support our journalism by advertising with us or donating to ICN. On 4 December 2020, the government released 24 Jehovahs Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. A Christian migrant from Eritrea shows a crucifix made of wood after she attended a Sunday mass at the makeshift church in "The New Jungle" near Calais, France, August 2, 2015. In December 24 Jehovah's Witnesses were freed, among them high-profile conscientious objectors Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years. Many of the brothers and sisters who are in the Tigrinja Congeration in Oslo have family who have been prisoned. This was the fir See more All rights reserved. Furthermore, Jehovahs Witnesses decline to participate in political elections. Woke up this morning and found out they were suddenly released!