Freedom on Trial: Eritrean Activists Face Legal Battles in America

Wednesday, 25 September 2024 21:44 Written by Michael Rubin

September 23,

After North Korea, Eritrea is the world’s most repressive and totalitarian country. Independence leader Isaias Afwerki rules with an iron fist. He rejects elections, and treats the country as his personal fiefdom. Unlimited conscription and national service transformed Eritrean citizens into unpaid slaves and made the country Isaias’ plantation. In response, many Eritreans flee. The routes are perilous; many die of thirst in the desert or drown crossing the Red Sea or Mediterranean. Tribesmen, criminals, and slavers prey upon them. Isaias is fine with the flight as Eritrea relies not only upon remittances from those who make it to Europe and the United States but also extorts a two percent “tax” based on ethnicity rather than citizenship. If an Eritrean renounces their citizenship, Isaias does not care. If they do not pay two percent of their income back to his treasury, their relatives will suffer back in Eritrea.

Other members of the diaspora, I would argue, advocate for the government for either privilege or, as possible, intelligence officers who spy on the Eritrean community. This is a strategy ripped from the North Korean playbook. Some experts argue that various ‘front groups’ regularly promote Pyongyang positions in Washington, seeking to confuse policy or, on occasion, win a propaganda coup when they can convince a representative to parrot their talking points without looking behind the curtain.

Indeed, Isaias considers pro-government diaspora to be a “fourth front” to supplement the country’s Western, Central, and Eastern fronts. Eritrean embassies often coordinate with diaspora front groups to lionize Isaias and celebrate festivals important to his rule. Eritrean front groups usually seek to intimidate those who favor freedom and democracy. In recent years, clashes and violence have become commonplace as pro-regime Eritreans attack those who do not share their views.

The pro-freedom diaspora has now responded. Over the past two years, diaspora groups across Europe and the United States have rallied behind the so-called “Blue Revolution.” Many of this pro-freedom, anti-Isaias Eritreans counter-protest at pro-regime festivals. This infuriates Isaias and pro-regime organizers as it takes the shine off their events and undermines the image of Eritrean solidarity they promote.

The pro-Isaias community in the United States now appears to be experimenting with a new strategy: Using U.S. courts to target anti-regime protestors. Earlier this year, the Eritrean Association in Greater Seattle sued several Eritrean democracy activists at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma. While the case remains mired in its early procedural issues such as service, it sets a dangerous precedent. Many cases have no merit—and reading the complaint, this appears to be one of them. The Eritrean Association says they serve more than 7,000 local Eritreans and openly acknowledge they organize events such as Eritrean Independence Day and Martyr’s Day celebrations. These parallel government holidays that lionize Isaias. The complaint then suggests that for their advocacy, they have become the target of hate crimes. This, of course, elides “hate crimes” with political dissent as those whom they accuse share the same ethnicities.

The root of the Eritrean Association complaint is that protestors disrupted their event by protesting and caused participants to cancel hotel reservations. They allege violence, but the complaint appears exaggerated. What the complaint alleges to be severe violence and destruction of property, the local police spokeswoman acknowledged tents tipped over. She described them as scuffles “that have quickly ended.”

It is understandable that the U.S. government prefers to remain aloof. After all, the judiciary is an independent branch of government, and the executive branch has no business interfering. At the same time, though, this can play into Isaias’ hijacking of the courts. He can channel unlimited funds to his front groups and lawyers to try to use court procedures and hearings to intimidate and bankrupt the Eritrean opposition.

The courts should be interested in not allowing themselves to be used by a dictator or groups that, by their actions, appear to act as his proxies. The State Department should also file a brief with the court explaining Eritrea’s methodology and strategies to target and neutralize opposition. Lawfare is simply its latest tactic.

Make no mistake: Freedom is on trial in Tacoma. Not only is Isaias watching its outcome, but dictators from Beijing to Moscow to Addis Ababa to Caracas will also seek to use U.S. courts to do their dirty work.

Today: Bologna protest march demanding human rights in Eritrea

Saturday, 21 September 2024 23:02 Written by Martin Plaut

Read on blog or Reader

Site logo image

Martin Plaut

Read on blog or Reader

By Martin Plaut on 21/09/2024

On September 21, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., a march for the human rights of the Eritrean people will be held in Bologna, an awareness-raising event that aims to bring serious human rights violations in Eritrea to international attention. The march will start from the historic Church of San Luca and will pass through the city's porticoes to end in Piazza Nettuno at 6:30 p.m.

The protagonists of the initiative will be young Eritreans who, along the route, will share stories and testimonies of journalists who are prisoners of conscience, illegally detained in Eritrean prisons for over twenty years. These media professionals, arrested in 2001 for exercising their right to freedom of expression, were unjustly accused of conspiracy with Ethiopia and treason, without ever having been formally tried.

Among the detained journalists are internationally renowned figures such as Dawit Isaak, awarded the Golden Pen of Freedom in 2011 and the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in 2017, and Amanuel Asrat, recently awarded the International Courageous Writer Award.

The main purpose of this march is to raise awareness among institutions and the public about the dramatic state of human rights in Eritrea, a country where there are no independent media and where freedom of speech is violently repressed. The demonstration aims to urge the intervention of international organizations to put an end to these serious violations and to obtain the immediate release of prisoners of conscience.

The event will see the participation of various city entities and illustrious guests, united in the common goal of giving voice to those who, for too long, have been forced into silence.

About the organizer

The event is organized by the Eritrean Provisional Committee for Freedom and Justice, an organization committed to defending human rights and promoting freedom of expression in Eritrea and around the world.

For more information This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

TPLF Chairman Discloses Tigray President Met with Leaders of Eritrea

Monday, 16 September 2024 21:57 Written by Martin Plaut

Site logo image

Martin Plaut

Read on blog or Reader

Tigray leader met with senior Eritrean officials

By Martin Plaut on 11/09/2024

Source: New Addis Standard

TPLF-Chairman-Tigray-Eritrea

TPLF Chairman, Debretsion Gebremichael, today [Tuesday] disclosed that Tigray President Getachew Reda held a meeting with leaders of Eritrea.

Tigray People’s Liberation Front chairman Debretsion Gebremichael in his talk with journalist on the eve of Ethiopian new year disclosed that months ago Getachew Reda, Tigray interim president, held a meeting with Eritrean leaders in Dubai. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed proposed this meeting and he asked Getachew Reda to contact Eritrean leaders. TPLF executive committee was on board too. After the meeting, Tigray president briefed Ethiopian Prime Minister and TPLF Chairman about the meeting, said the TPLF chairman.

Getachew Reda has not responded to these accusations so far. Interestingly, around 2 weeks ago, Getachew Reda accused TPLF Debretsion group of conspiring with foreign countries. He implied that TPLF leaders were forming an alliance with Eritrean leaders against his government and federal government of Ethiopia. Later Ammanuel Assefa, TPLF deputy chairman, rejected those allegations in a press talk.

It seems that both TPLF groups, led by Getachew Reda and Debretsion Gebremichael, are trying to discredit each other. Eritrean forces supported Ethiopian military against Tigray forces in the 2-year long war which destroyed Tigray.

TPLF chairman in today’s press talk reacted to criticism leveled by Tigray President Getachew Reda in an interview last night. The president claimed that Pretoria agreement saved TPLF. TPLF chairman today responded by saying that Tigray forces had not been defeated when talks were held leading to signing of Pretoria agreement. He claimed that Getachew Reda and others, who negotiated on behalf of Tigray, agreed on dissolution of Tigray regional government without consulting other TPLF leaders.

Comment

This meeting is confirmed.

In yesterday's press conference, Debretsion claimed that, with the permission of the TPLF executive committee, Getachew held several meetings with Eritrea's high-level leadership and that PM Abiy was aware of and encouraged these talks.

Debretsion presented this as evidence that, contrary to Getachew's accusations—wherein he implied that the TPLF old guard's contacts with Eritrea were motivated by a desire to form an alliance against the Ethiopian government—the meetings were actually sanctioned by Abiy and were the outcome of TPLF executive decision [in which Getachew particpated] aimed at establishing peaceful relations with neighboring states.

Debretsion highlighted the fact that Getachew's contact with Eritrea on behalf of the TPLF to show that, while he endorsed the Getachew's meeting in Dubai, the interim president was insincere in his portrayal of Debretsion and others as plotting an alliance with Eritrea while hiding his own leading role in the meetings and Abiy's awareness of the events.

Eritrea.Liberty Magazine Issue Nr.85

Tuesday, 03 September 2024 23:07 Written by EPDP Foreign Affairs Office

“No to the deportation of rejected Eritreans to third countries”

Sunday, 07 July 2024 15:50 Written by Martin Plaut

Read on blog or Reader

Martin Plaut

14/06

Source: Le Courrier

“The PLR motion passed to the National Council aimed at deporting rejected Eritrean refugees to a third country is appalling.” Via a forum, experts, associations and representations of political parties express their indignation against “a ludicrous decision, which reflects the denial among certain political representatives of the reality of the soft power exercised in Switzerland by the Eritrean dictatorship”.

FRIDAY JUNE 14, 2024

On June 9, 125 national advisors let themselves be carried away by the dream of a mass deportation and of a very distant country which, in return for funding, would take charge of the Eritrean refugees rejected from Switzerland, and would take care of managing their repatriation in Eritrea. A discomfort, of course. The chill down the spine, the indignation, of course. But also a reassuring thought, that, despite the solemn context, the PLR motion is only a fantasy which pragmatically cannot come true: to put in place a functional transit agreement through a third country, it would already be necessary that Bern and Asmara have an agreement regarding the return of refugees, which has never been the case and probably never will be. Also, the country with which the “transit” agreement would be put in place could only serve as a bridge between Switzerland and… Switzerland. And this while making itself dependent at great expense on a third State, whose reliability it will have to guarantee in terms of respect for human rights with national and international institutions.

The Federal Council, that is to say the executive, already refused last year to take action on the implementation of this unworkable measure. Since the vote of June 9, he is now forced to try to give substance to this populist turn which will in all likelihood end in a laborious series of failures, like its model, the British plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda . Since 2022, the latter has been nothing but a succession of failures, has not slowed down the increase in the arrival of exiles in England and has barely managed to push the country to the brink of leaving the Convention European Union of Human Rights (ECHR).

The sporadic brawls involving certain Eritrean refugees are in no way directed against Switzerland, its people, its society and its welcome. If we must indeed stop this violence, we must understand that it is not a question of hooliganism, but of the avoidable consequences of the suffocating pressure of the Eritrean government on the refugees located in Switzerland.

The truth that the supporters of the June 9 motion do not want to admit is that Eritrea, an African dictatorship less populated than Switzerland and with a GDP nearly 330 times smaller, exercises a real and destabilizing influence on all of Europe. The violence is not imported by the refugees, but sent by the Eritrean government, thanks to the interference of its pro-government agents on Swiss territory, particularly during propaganda events disguised as cultural festivals.

Far from populist chimeras, simple, applicable and effective measures can be put in place in Switzerland: stop using Eritrean embassies to process asylum applications; block the levy of the 2% tax on the diaspora; fight against registrations, propaganda and pressure exerted by agents of the Eritrean government. In short, protect people on Swiss soil for good.

Fleeing the Eritrean conscription is a legitimate reason for requesting asylum, as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the associations working on the issue tirelessly repeat, with all due respect to those for whom Switzerland is at home. above human rights. We must never forget that to expel an Eritrean is to condemn him. The United Nations Council Against Torture (CAT) has already denounced Switzerland's actions with regard to the treatment of Eritrean refugees six times: let's stand up against this morbid stubbornness. An asylum and protection policy is the only way to counter violence and contribute to a healthier social climate both for Eritrean refugees and for the rest of Switzerland's inhabitants.

List of signatories:

Prof. David Bozzini – Social anthropology, University of Friborg

Prof. Didier Péclard – African studies, University of Geneva

Prof. Estelle Sohier – Cultural history, University of Geneva

Prof. Cornelia Hummel – Sociology, University of Geneva

Prof. Johannes Schubert – Political anthropology, University of Basel

Pre Alix Heiniger – Contemporary history, University of Friborg

Professor Armelle Choplin – Geography, University of Geneva

Professor Wolbert Smidt – Ethnohistory, University of Jena/Mekele

Professor Mirjam van Reisen – International relations, University of Tilsburg

Martin Plaut – Journalist/researcher, University of London

Dr Alexander Meckelburg – Anthropologist, University College London

Matteo Bächtold – Doctoral student, Collège de France

Les Verts Genevois

The Genevois Socialist Party

Ensemble à Gauche

Solidarités

Christian Zaugg – President of the DAL (Defence of the elderly, tenants, employment and social)

Valentin Prélaz – President of the Socialist Federation of the district of Sierre

Coordination asile.ge

United 4 EritreSOSF (Solidarity without borders)

Samson Yemane – Political scientist and co-president of Eritreischer Medienbund Schweiz

Julia Duncan-Cassell – President of EEPA (Europe External Program with Africa)

Meron Desta – Spokesperson for ADEHA (Association for Dialogue and Exchanges with the Horn of Africa)

Me Laïla Batou – Lawyer at the Geneva Bar

Me Pantea Sadeghipour – Lawyer at the Geneva Bar

Emmanuel Deonna – member of the League committee Swiss Human Rights

Dr Wolfgang Heinrich – Consultant

Asia Abdulkadir – Consultant

Amir Ghidey – Human Rights Defender

Jordanos Ghidey – Human Rights Defender

Rinoy Pazhayamkottil – Human Rights Defender

Kibrom Andom – Human Rights Defender

The list of signatories (more than thirty) can be found online at lecourrier.ch/rubrique/opinions/

Comment

You can also reply to this email to leave a comment.

Eritrea. Liberty Magazine Issue Nr.84

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 09:03 Written by EPDP Foreign Office Affairs

Even supporters are fleeing the regime: The Eritrean ambassador has applied for asylum in Switzerland

Thursday, 13 June 2024 23:12 Written by Martin Plaut

The career diplomat Adem Osman was the figurehead of the Eritrean regime abroad. Now research shows that he has applied for asylum in Switzerland. His successor confirmed this in a speech to supporters of the regime. He insulted the deserter as a "trait…

Read on blog or Reader

Martin Plaut

Read on blog or Reader

Martin Plaut

09/06

George Humbel 08.06.2024

Back then he was still one of the regime's favorites: Adem Osman (in the light suit) brought the Eritrean Foreign Minister to Switzerland in 2019. The picture shows the distinguished guest opening a party in Burgdorf.PD

He was the young figurehead of the aging government in Asmara: He had a Facebook account, was eloquent and spoke good English. Career diplomat Adem Osman came to Switzerland in 2016 as a beacon of hope. With the consulate in Geneva, he was able to take over one of the most important outposts: Osman not only represented Eritrea to the Swiss Confederation, but also headed the UN delegation in the city on the Rhone. When Eritrea was once again pilloried in the Human Rights Council, he listened stoically. Only to then say that everything was completely different. Eritrea is making great progress in human rights - reports to the contrary are Western lies and should be rejected, said the regime's prominent mouthpiece.

Now he has applied for asylum himself. This is extremely embarrassing for those in power in Asmara. Habtem Zerai, who was newly appointed as his replacement, insulted the man who defected: "For reasons known only to him, he betrayed the Eritrean people and applied for asylum in Switzerland," said the new ambassador at the beginning of April. "He disappeared without informing anyone," the new official complained to supporters of the regime. The "NZZ am Sonntag" has a transcript of his speech. According to the new ambassador, Adem Osman applied for asylum in Switzerland in April 2023.

With the Swiss flag and a portrait of Eritrea's long-time ruler Afewerki: This is how Adem Osman addressed the Eritrean diaspora in Switzerland in 2021.

Habteab Yemane was a judge and law professor in Eritrea. Today he lives as a refugee in Switzerland and is one of the important voices of the Eritrean opposition. When he was still a lecturer at the University of Asmara, Adem Osman was one of his students. "He was a hard-working and good student," says Yemane. He followed his former student's career with skepticism: "He rose through the ranks very quickly. I never understood how he, as a trained lawyer, could defend such an unjust state." The professor and democracy activist is pleased that his former student has now turned away from the regime.

Kafkaesque game of hide and seek around the ambassador

The whole story surrounding the top diplomat who jumped ship is full of absurd twists and turns: As early as September 2023, the CH Media newspapers had reported that the ambassador had disappeared. Adem Osman was currently at a conference or a meeting, it was said again and again at the time. The consulate obviously tried to keep quiet about the embarrassment. Things then became downright surreal on September 8: The "NZZ am Sonntag" met the diplomat on the street in Geneva. During the brief meeting, he claimed to be still in office. "Everything is going normally," said Adem Osman. He had long since applied for asylum.

Why this game of hide-and-seek? The secrecy can probably be explained by the fact that the diplomat was afraid for his safety. He obviously wanted to know first what his chances of asylum were before he finally broke with the regime. It is rare for high-ranking diplomats to switch sides. The most prominent case in recent years was the Russian UN ambassador Boris Bondarev in 2022. He resigned after Putin's invasion of Ukraine and also applied for asylum. He was under police protection for a while.

Adem Osman's life is unlikely to be easy either. The government's supporters hate the deserter. The opposition still sees him as a supporter of the dictator. The Swiss authorities have not confirmed the story for data protection reasons. And so the rumors about his departure continue to circulate. It's all about money: According to insiders, the Eritrean consulate in Geneva is anything but a normal diplomatic mission.

The consulate as a self-service shop for officials

All Eritreans living abroad must pay two percent of their income. This diaspora tax is an important source of income for the sole ruler Isaias Afewerki. Many do not want to pay this tax - but anyone who needs a service from the consulate is obliged to do so. In addition to the tax, the embassy charges horrendous fees and uses large campaigns to solicit donations. Adem Osman is said to have noticed that consulate employees were diverting funds on a large scale. When he stopped this abuse, he fell out with the clique of officials - that is what supporters of the Eritrean opposition in Switzerland say.

The case of the new ambassador shows how important it is for the foreign missions to collect money. is fundraising activities have made it onto Eritrean television. The new man in Geneva collected 12,845 francs in Solothurn, according to a news report by the state broadcaster. On April 1st, a large party was held in Gerlafingen by Eritreans loyal to the regime. On the sidelines of this event, there were massive riots that made headlines across Switzerland. "We have been criticizing for years that massive amounts of money are being collected for the regime at these festivals by those loyal to the regime," said opposition member Habteab Yemane. He is calling for such festivals to be banned.

The new ambassador to Switzerland visited all the cantons and collected a lot of money, according to the news report on Eri-TV. It meticulously lists how much money was collected in each of the cantons during this Tour de Suisse. 9127 francs in Lucerne, 6481 francs in Aarau and 4910 francs in St. Gallen - in total, Zerai is said to have collected over 50,000 francs for the state treasury in twelve cantons. The fact that he made it into the TV news shows one thing above all: how tight the regime is and how urgently those in power need foreign currency from abroad.

Wad-Sherifey School at 40

Monday, 29 April 2024 11:05 Written by EPDP Social Affairs Office

Eritrea.Liberty Magazine Issue Nr.83

Tuesday, 02 April 2024 20:52 Written by EPDP Foreign Office Affairs

Norwegian parties send plan to end transnational repression of Eritreans to Parliament

Wednesday, 13 March 2024 23:24 Written by Martin Plaut

Read on blog or Reader

Site logo image

Martin Plaut

Read on blog or Reader

Martin Plaut

March 8

"The dictatorship in Asmara uses its long arm against Eritreans living in Norway - this cannot be acceptable,"

Ola Elvestuen, Member of Parliament.

Norwegian Members of Parliament have been meeting in committee to decide how to respond to two reports on the way in which repressive regimes around the world have attempted to put pressure on their citizens living in Norway. This includes the Eritrean diaspora, who have been under intense pressure to pay a 2% tax on all their income to Asmara as well as attend 'festivals' that are often contain strong military elements. Even children are indoctrinated in the Eritrean regime's ideologies.

On Friday the Norwegian politicians decided to send an action plan to the full Parliament, or Storting. This is due to be debated on 15th March. "It's a breakthrough" says Ola Elvesteun, a former Minister for Climate and the Environment, and a strong supporter of the Eritrean cause. "The repression of Eritreans is very strong - including the 2% tax, pressure on family members in Eritrea and through the churches."

Mr Elvesteun outlined three forms of action the Norwegian Parliament might take.

· Halt the 2% tax, which funds Eritrea's repression at home and its military activities abroad. Much of the activity is co-ordinated via the ruling party offices in central Oslo, where the PFDJ operates to put pressure on Norwegian Eritreans. "This must be stopped," says the MP.

· Act to prevent Norwegian state subsidies being transferred from churches in Norway to Asmara. Mr Elvesteun says 37 or 38 churches are controlled by the Eritrean state. "Anyone who disagrees with President Isaias is locked out," he says. "This must end."

· The 'festivals' are in reality what he calls "arenas of propaganda" for the dictatorship, and should be recognised as such. Anyone who is critical of President Isaias is excluded. They are dominated by Eritreans wearing pro-regime T-shirts with 4G on then, or Eriblood slogans. This reality needs to be recognised by local authorities and other organisations that make the halls available.

"The Eritrean regime raises at least one-third of its budget from its diaspora abroad - often under pressure. We must work across Europe to deal with this issue," says Mr Elvesteun who is optimistic that their proposals will be adopted when they come before the whole Parliament.