World Report 2025: Human Rights in Eritrea

Eritrea’s government maintains strict control over its citizens, leading to widespread human rights violations, including repression of freedoms, indefinite military service, and unlawful detentions. The regime lacks political plurality, and refugees face violence abroad. Reports of abuses by Eritrean forces in Ethiopia’s Tigray region persist, with ongoing repression of religious and civic organizations. The overall humanitarian situation for Eritreans remains dire, both domestically and in exile.

In 2025, Eritrea’s government continued to enforce strict control over its citizens, both domestic and abroad, resulting in human rights violations including the repression of freedom of opinion, religion, and expression. The practice of indefinite military service for children and adults persisted, with reports of abuses by Eritrean forces in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Since gaining independence in 1993, Eritrea has not held any elections, with President Isaias Afewerki retaining power without implementing a 1997 constitution that would limit executive power and protect civil rights.

The government has not convened a legislature since 2010 and allows only the Isaias-controlled People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) to operate, repressing other political parties. Widespread unlawful detentions and enforced disappearances are evident, particularly among critics, including journalists and alleged draft evaders. Notably, Berhane Abrehe, a former finance minister, died while in custody after years of detention for advocating democratic reforms.

Religious freedoms are severely curtailed, with unlawful arrests of individuals belonging to unrecognized faiths ongoing. In a report, at least 110 Christians were detained in the first half of 2025, and Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to be arrested without trial or formal charges. Children identified as Jehovah’s Witnesses often face intimidation and expulsion from school for non-compliance with nationalistic rituals.

Eritrea maintains a closed civic space, banning opposition parties, independent civic groups, and media. Since the ban on independent media in 2001, dissenters are arbitrarily detained, faced with extrajudicial handling of political cases, and denied basic legal rights. Recent reports indicate an increase in transnational repression against Eritrean citizens abroad, leading to violent clashes between government supporters and opposition groups.

Women’s access to contraceptives stands at only 21%, and the maternal mortality rate is alarmingly high at 322 deaths per 100,000 live births, exacerbated by inadequate healthcare facilities. Violence against women remains a serious issue, with high rates of child marriage and rampant sexual violence against female conscripts within the military.

Eritrean asylum seekers and refugees experience severe challenges, including arbitrary detention and violence in host countries. As of June 2024, over 150,000 Eritreans were registered as refugees in Sudan, with many vulnerable to sexual violence. In Ethiopia, more than 170,000 Eritreans faced violent conditions, further worsened by the suspension of asylum procedures. Reports continue regarding Eritrean forces committing abuses, including sexual violence and disappearances in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

In summary, Eritrea’s government continues to maintain oppressive control over its population, violating numerous human rights. Practices such as indefinite military service, unlawful detentions, and religious suppression are prevalent. Refugees face dire conditions in neighboring countries, and the government remains uncooperative with international human rights bodies. The status of many political prisoners remains uncertain, and reports of abuses continue to emerge from Eritrean forces operating in Ethiopia.

Original Source: www.hrw.org