UN Experts Condemn Decades of Arbitrary Detention and Enforced Disappearances in Eritrea

Independent UN human rights experts have called for an immediate end to the decades-long practice of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances in Eritrea, which has persisted since 1991. The experts highlighted the case of Bitweded Abraha, a former independence fighter and high-ranking official, who has remained in detention for over 35 years due to political disagreements with President Isaias Afwerki regarding economic and political policies. Reports indicate that many individuals, including the 'G-15' group and journalists arrested in 2001, have been held incommunicado without charge or trial for over two decades.

The experts emphasized that these practices violate international human rights law, causing immense suffering to the families of the disappeared, who remain unaware of their loved ones' fates. Testimonies from children of detained officials, including those now living in exile, describe the ongoing trauma and the lack of accountability. UN bodies have previously called for the release of these detainees, citing the lack of due process and the absence of an independent judiciary in the country since the government crackdown in 2001.