ALJazeera: UN investigators into Eritrea given police protection
Trio was threatened after commission started hearing testimony on Eritrea's human rights record in Switzerland. Switzerland has given police protection to three UN investigators into Eritrea's human rights record after a top official said they had
Trio was threatened after commission started hearing testimony on Eritrea’s human rights record in Switzerland.
Switzerland has given police protection to three UN investigators into Eritrea’s human rights record after a top official said they had received threats on the streets of Geneva and at their hotel.
The security measure was put in place on Wednesday, a day after the UN commission started a two-day testimony before the Geneva-based council on Tuesday.
Joachim Ruecker, the president of the council, said on Tuesday that the investigators had been subjected to “various threats and acts of intimidation in their hotel and in the streets since their arrival in Geneva”.
He did not give details but said security had been redoubled, Swiss police had been contacted and security measures had been taken to ensure the council meeting could go on “with calm and dignity”.
Sheila Keetharuth, one member of the commission, said the threats were “specific” but declined to give details.
A Reuters witness saw Swiss police guarding the team even though the meeting was held within the United Nations compound in Geneva.
Yerhiwo June 24, 2015
This kind of intimidation and threat does not belong in civilized nation! Eritrea is ruled by fear not by law as you said it in your report and this is true for Eritreans who are living abroad. There are many Eritreans abroad who have first hand knowledge about the crimes against humanity, but afraid to talk for many reasons. Some are afraid for their families inside Eritrea, some are afraid for their burial ground in Eritrea, some are afraid of their business or family business, some are afraid that HGDEF gangs in diaspora will get them, etc. etc.
Dictator Isaias Afwerki and his cousins Yemane Monkey, Hagos Kisha are ruling Eritrea by killing innocent people, by raping young girls, by torturing prisoners, by dividing the people, by distorting information, by intimidation, by illegal arrests, by denying free movement from place to place freely, by subjecting Eritreans into cruel punishments, by enslaving them, etc.
THIS KIND OF INTIMIDATION AND THREAT HAS NO PLACE IN EUROPE OR USA. DIA will try to do anything to avoid the ICC from charging him, but the noose is now tighter and tighter on Wedi Berad’s neck. Victims of Dictator Isaias Afwerki are waiting to see the brutal dictator drought to court of law! Many crimes have been committed in Eritrea, what the COI presented is a needle in hay stack!!!
s-egen June 24, 2015
A vivid proof that Eritrea is ruled by a group of villains, gangs, out laws, strret boys, pimps, prostitutes, vagabonds and what not…………..
Natnael June 25, 2015
A good Testimony for DIA and his network!
The behaviour of the gengs or street boys ruling Eritrea is now witnessed in Switzerland just clearly. There is no other definition for the outlaws in Asmara ! The best way to minimize the daily growing damage in our country is if DIA & co leave the country [to Harrare or Addis or even to Libya, IS !] as only soon as possible.
wedifre June 25, 2015
This is clear manifestation and witness of the real nature of our Tyrant Iseyas!!
” Waza Yimeslekin Wihij Yiwesdekin”
A child from a misbihaved family shows his behavior everywhere!! A dictator who is used of rulling by fear cannot change even in the civilized world.
The opposition need not do anything to convince about the terror in Eritrea, HIGDEF has shown it to the UN in Geneva.
If they are not ashamed to do that in Geneva what will be the abuse of Eritreans in Eritrea is very clear!!!
Stefanos Temolso June 25, 2015
ወይጦታት ህግደፍ ልክዕ ከም መራሒኦም ስዲ ዝኾነ ተባይ ከርእዩ ናይ ግድን እዩ። ኣብ ጐነጽ፡ ኣብ ምስፋን ራዕዲ፡ ኣብ ምፍርራሕ እንተ ዘይኮይኑ ኣብ ልዝብን ምምኽኻርን። ብሕጊ ተቐዪድካ ምኻድን እምነት ከም ዘይብሎም ነቲ ኮሚሽን ብጭቡጥ ኣረጋጊጾምሉ ኣለዉ። እሞ ደኣ፡ እቲ ጸብጻብ ካብ ጽልኢ ዝተበገሰ እዩ፡ ፖለቲካዊ ዕላማ ኣለዎ ምባል እንታይ ፋይዳ ኣለዎ? ኣየ ግብዝና! ኣየ ዕሽነት! ህግደፍ ንከምዚኦም ዝኣመሰሉ ዘይስልጡናት ዜጋታት፡ እሞ ኣብ ኤውሮጳ ነዊሕ ዓመታት ተቐሚጥና ዝብሉ ባሃማት ሒዙ እዩ፡ ደገፍቲ ኣለዉኒ ዝብል። ነታ ሃገርን ነቲ ክቡር ህዝብን ኣጽሪፎሞ’ምበር ናታቶም ባዕሎም ምፈለጡ።
ERITRAWIT June 25, 2015
They think they can shut peoples mouth like what they have done to our people, BUT not to the world. keeping your children in save place and ignoring others pain it shows how arrogant and heart less they are.
and I am not surprise for this kind of behaviour this people grown up falele.We have seen hgdefawyan mums sticking middle fingers out. Yesterday Gerahtew used shame full words against
UN investigators and his been rejected.
ertra n ertrawyan June 25, 2015
Fear but not Law is coming from Asmara to Geneva. From Eritrean people to UN diplomats. There is no evidence than this.Over. Now we the Eritrean people are waiting for the UN to punish the devil Issayas.
Michael Tesfamariam June 25, 2015
The intimidation, bullying and threatening against members of the UN HRC is the true reflection of the nature and mind set of the regime that represents them back home in Eritrea. There is no embarrassing moment in life other than being a victim of propaganda and deceit of the military junta in Eritrea.
Now, the only way we can win against this bloodthirst vindictive regime in Eritrea and those disgraceful insane “supporters” who were making to much noise in the Geneva streets is to come together and march in Geneva tomorrow to tell the world that the regime and those puppets in Diaspora do not represent the vast majority of the people in and outside the country any more. Lest go to Geneva and show the world that we are the true representative of the genuine situation in Eritrea.
Amanios Makonnen June 25, 2015
The impudence and madness of Hgdef (so is called locally the clique terrorizing Eritrea – and now the UN!) knows no bounds. It cannot and does not have convincing arguments to respond with proper rebuttal. As such, and true to its vile spiritual culture, it now throws unto the civilised streets of Geneva a hoard of simple-minded thugs with a mission to make disturbances, threats and intimidations. What more proof does the world entity need to condemn and declare the regime in Eritrea a reign of fear and terror and finally bring those responsible before the ICC?
Teklai Abraha June 25, 2015
Not in a free and civilized society !! Intimidation works only in countries like Eritrea where people are powerless and are ruled by fear. The PFDJ supporters in Diaspora are equally responsible for the crimes committed against our people. The modern Nazis should be picked up from their hiding places and be brought to the court of law. Ignorance is not good defense, they should at least be sent back to the law of the jungle they created themselves.