50th Session of the Human Rights Council: Nordic-Baltic Statement - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea

Human Rights Council
50th session

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea

Statement by Iceland on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic Countries (NB8)
13 June 2022

Mr. President,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries.

We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report.

We remain deeply concerned over persistent human rights violations in Eritrea, in particular the practice of indefinite national service, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and widespread sexual and gender-based violence.

We condemn the continuing involvement of Eritrea in the war in Ethiopia, including reports of the deployment of child soldiers and forced conscription of Eritrean refugees. We urge the Government to immediately and unconditionally withdraw Eritrean forces from Ethiopia and to investigate all alleged breaches of international law by Eritrean actors in Ethiopia.

We also condemn severe restrictions on the rights to freedoms of expression and religion or belief, and the continued closure of civic space in Eritrea. We call on the Eritrean Government to release all those arbitrarily detained, to end the practices of prolonged, incommunicado and arbitrary detention, and to develop independent rule-of-law institutions to protect human rights.

Finally, as a member of the Human Rights Council, Eritrea should uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights and fully cooperate with the Council’s mechanisms, including by granting the Special Rapporteur full and unhindered access to the country.

I thank you.