Mr President,
Allow me to extend the gratitude of Sweden to Mr Girmai Abraham and his delegation for the national report and for taking an active part in our dialogue today.
Sweden welcomes that the Constitution of Eritrea guarantees freedom of expression, and stipulates that anyone who is deprived of his or her liberty shall be entitled to take proceedings before a court of law. At the same time, widespread violations of freedom of expression are reported in practice, and several journalists and other persons remain in detention without having their cases presented before a court of law.
We recommend the government (1) to take further measures to ensure full respect for freedom of expression and of the press in accordance with its international obligations, including the ICCPR, to which Eritrea is a party.
Furthermore, Sweden recommends (2) to take measures to ensure a prompt release of persons that have been detained for exercising their freedom of expression or as a result of their political views.
The right of all persons to take part in the government of his/her country, directly or through freely chosen representatives is a human right, recognized in the Universal Declaration. In Eritrea, only the ruling party PFDJ is able to act, and persons involved in political issues are often harassed. Therefore, Sweden recommends the government (3) to take all necessary steps to ensure the full enjoyment of the right of all persons to take part in the government of his or her country.
We welcome the commitment of the government to abolish female genital mutilation, but also see many other areas where there is reason for concern, such as economic and labour rights, women's and children’s rights, freedom of religion or belief and a need for improved cooperation with civil society.
Thank you, Mr President.