UNHRC establishes commission of inquiry for Eritrea
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
September 29, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has named a three-member commission of inquiry to investigate alleged violations of human rights in Eritrea.
The Council president appointed Mike Smith of Australia and Victor Dankwa of Ghana to serve in the commission of inquiry, alongside Sheila Keetharuth from Mauritius as its special rapporteur.
An inquiry in to gross human rights abuses in Eritrea as outlined in the report of the Special rapporteur was established in June this year.
The decision to establish the panel came after campaigns and pressures on the world body by Eritreans and international human rights organisations. The reclusive red sea nation has repeatedly denied all these allegations.
The US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has commended the move taken by the UNHRC establish a commission of inquiry, describing it as an important step towards justice for the victims.
The Commission of Inquiry should receive full cooperation and access from the government of Eritrea, as well as from all other countries it would need to visit, HRW said in a statement.
“The flow of Eritrean youth fleeing the country shows that the persistent, alarming patterns of serious human rights violations in Eritrea need scrutiny and action,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at HRW.
“A commission of inquiry should bring world attention to Eritreans’ suffering and explore possible avenues for justice for the victims”.
The commission of inquiry, earmarked to last for a year, is due to investigate allegations of serious human rights violations, including the detention and torture of prisoners and indefinite military service to citizens aged between18 to 50.
HRW further said the commission of inquiry should also recommend appropriate accountability mechanisms, including criminal prosecution, for those deemed responsible for these abuses.
This is the fourth time the UNHRC has established commission of inquiry, having previously investigated right abuses in North Korea, Syria and Sri Lanka.
(ST)