UN HR Council 'Deeply Concerned' That Human Rights Situation In Eritrea 'Not Changing a Bit'
2017-03-14 20:03:35 Written by EPDP Information Office Published in EPDP News Read 1925 times-
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Speaker after speaker at the 34th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, 13 March expressed "profound sadness" to learn from its Special Human Rights Rappprteur that the overall situation in Eritrea is not changing at all. To the contrary, recent reports confirmed that the same old political and human rights violations continued to be perpetrated as before July 2016 when the UN HR Council passed its recommendations for immediate action by all concerned, including the repressive Asmara regime itself.
Presenting her oral update to the UN Human Rights Council Monday afternoon, Ms Sheila Keetharuth, the Special Eritrea Rapporteur, talked with dismay at the absence of "any progress" in the situation and the continued lack of action to address it. According to her, the Eritrean authorities are not responding" let alone to be expected to find a remedy to the problem.
Ms Keetharuth reminded the Council of the findings and recommendations of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Eritrea, adding that the cries of that "report still echo" in the same Geneva meeting hall of the Council.
The country representatives who took part in the interactive dialogue deplored the failure of the Eritrean authorities to take any measurable steps to change the country's "worrisome image". Of the 20 delegations that were given the opportunity to speak, only five (Belarus, China, Cuba, Sudan and Venezuela,) had favourable or soft words for the Eritrean authorities charged of having committed 'crimes against humanity' during the entire the quarter of a century of Eritrea's independent existence.
(Full session in this link: http://webtv.un.org/watch/id-sr-on-human-rights-in-eritrea-33rd-meeting-34th-regular-session-human-rights-council-/5357499890001?page=2).
