AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION
PUBLIC
AI Index: AFR 64/011/2005
28 July 2005
UA
197/05 - Fear of torture or ill-treatment/incommunicado
detention/detention without charge
ERITREA
- Hundreds of relatives of military conscription evaders and
deserters
Several hundred relatives of people who have evaded or deserted from
military conscription have reportedly been arrested in the Debub region of
southern Eritrea since 15 July. They are held incommunicado, many in harsh
conditions, and are at risk of torture or ill-treatment. Some reportedly
began a hunger strike in protest at their detention. Amnesty International
fears that the arrest campaign could be extended to all other parts of the
country.
Those arrested were the fathers,
mothers or other relatives of men or women over the age of 18 who have
either failed to report for national service since 1994, failed to attend
the compulsory final school year at Sawa military training
camp, abandoned their army unit, or left the country illegally. The
relatives have been accused of facilitating their evasion of
conscription or flight abroad. Officials reportedly offered them release
on bail of between 10,000 and 50,000 nakfa (US$660 to US$3,300), if they
guaranteed that they would produce their missing relative.
None of those arrested has been
charged with a criminal offence or taken to court within the 48 hours
stipulated by the Constitution and laws of Eritrea. They are held
incommunicado in different prisons. Many held in Adi Keih town prison
reportedly began a hunger strike in protest at their detention and have
been moved to Mai Serwa military camp near the capital Asmara. Prison
conditions for political detainees in Eritrea are harsh, with many held in
metal shipping containers or underground cells.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Thousands of young men and women have
sought asylum in Sudan and other countries since Eritrea's war with
Ethiopia from 1998 to 2000, in an effort to avoid conscription or after
deserting from the army. National service, compulsory for all men and
women aged between 18 and 40, has been extended indefinitely from
the original 18 months’ service enacted in 1994. It consists of military
service and labour on army-related construction projects. The right to
conscientious objection to military service is not recognized by the
Eritrean authorities. There are frequent round-ups to catch evaders and
deserters. Torture and indefinite arbitrary detention are used as
punishments for military offences.
Amnesty International is
investigating reports that many conscripts detained for military
offences at Wia army camp, east of the capital Asmara, were killed by
armed guards in a prison break-out in early June 2005. There has been no
inquiry into the killing of over a dozen people among some
thousands of suspected conscription evaders arrested in Asmara and
detained at the nearby Adi Abeto army prison on 4 November (see UA 301/04,
AFR 64/008/2004, 9 November 2004).
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send
appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language:
- expressing concern at reports of
hundreds of arrests in Debub region of parents and relatives of military
conscription evaders and deserters;
- expressing concern that they are
being detained solely because of their relationship to those who have
evaded or deserted military service, and calling for their immediate
release unless they are to be charged with a recognizably criminal
offence;
- calling for guarantees that they
will not be tortured or ill-treated in detention;
- urging the authorities to grant
immediate access to relatives, lawyers and any necessary medical treatment
to all the detainees, including those who reportedly began a hunger
strike;
- expressing concern at
reports that officials have told the detainees that they can
be bailed on payment of large sums of money.
APPEALS TO:
President
His
Excellency President Issayas Afewerki
Office
of the President
P
O Box 257, Asmara, Eritrea
Fax:
+ 2911 126422
Salutation:
Your Excellency
Ms Fawzia Hashim
Minister
of Justice
Ministry
of Justice
P
O Box 241, Asmara, Eritrea
Salutation:
Dear Minister
COPIES TO:
Brigadier Abraham Andom
Commissioner of Police
Ministry of Internal Affairs
P O Box 1223, Asmara, Eritrea
and to diplomatic representatives
of Eritrea accredited to your country.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS
IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International
Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 8 September
2005.
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