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EU
Statement on political prisoners in ERITREA
19
September 2007
The
Portuguese EU presidency yesterday issued on behalf of the European
Union the following declaration regarding political prisoners in
Eritrea:
Declaration
by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on political
prisoners in Eritrea
The
European Union remains extremely concerned with the situation of
political prisoners in Eritrea and would like to reiterate the main
lines of the Declaration issued on the 18th September 2006 as, so
far, the situation has not seen any positive developments.
On
18 September 2001 a group of eleven prominent members of Parliament
and of the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, the only
political party in Eritrea, was arrested. A few days later, 10
independent journalists were also arrested. Since then, other
individuals have been arrested and detained incommunicado, with no
charges and with their right to a due process suspended.
Despite
repeated appeals by the International Community, including the EU,
and several Governmental and non-governmental Human Rights bodies,
these prisoners remain in detention, without having been charged with
any offence, and without access to a free and fair trial. None has
been brought before a magistrate, although Eritrean laws require this
to be done within 48 hours.
The European Union is deeply
concerned about these severe violations of basic human rights and
urges the Government of the State of Eritrea to disclose evidence of
their place of detention, detention conditions and health status. The
European Union also urges the Government of the State of Eritrea to
either bring charges against those detained and instruct a due and
open process with legal representation or to unconditionally release
them.
Furthermore, the EU urges the Government of the State
of Eritrea to allow the families, legal representatives and medical
doctors of their choice to have access to the prisoners. The Eritrean
authorities should ensure that the treatment of these prisoners while
in custody adheres to all the conditions set out in Basic Principles
for the Treatment of Prisoners, adopted by the UN General Assembly
Resolution 45/11 of 14 December 1990.
As far as the EU is
concerned, the welfare of the detainees is an important issue. The EU
therefore would like to assess their situation and reiterates the
request to allow the EU Heads of Mission in Asmara to visit those
concerned.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the
Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA
countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area,
as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia
align themselves with this declaration.
* Croatia and the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the
Stabilisation and Association Process.
Date: 2007-09-18
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