General situation
On 17th May 2023, DefendDefenders, together with 35 non-governmental organisations, issued a letter ahead of the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. The letter urges countries to actively support the adoption of a resolution that extends the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea and condemns the ongoing human rights violations by the Eritrean authorities.
Eritrea continues to deny entry to the Special Rapporteur and to refuse meaningful engagement with the Human Rights Council as well as the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.
Expression
In its 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Eritrea 174th out of 180 countries, a slight change from previous years when Eritrea was ranked 179th. The press freedom watchdog reported that ‘’the media remain in President Issaias Afwerki’s despotic grip.’’