Human Rights Concern Eritrea

Description

Human Rights Concern Eritrea, known as HRCE, is an independent, non-profit human rights organization based in the United Kingdom. It works for the promotion and protection of the human rights of Eritreans, both inside Eritrea and around the world. It was founded by Elsa Chyrum, who has directed it since and who has worked on human rights and Eritrean asylum issues since 2001.

HRCE promotes and protects human rights through advocacy, lobbying, education, research and documentation. It carries out fact-finding on torture, prison conditions, arbitrary arrest and detention, and other violations inside Eritrea. It also presses the Eritrean government to adopt and implement its own constitution, and it works with other Eritrean organizations, faith groups and international bodies that share its concerns.

The organization operates on a project basis so it can respond quickly to urgent cases, such as intervening when Eritreans faced deportation back to the country. It has helped free Eritrean refugees held in Libyan and Maltese jails, and has supported the resettlement of people deported to Eritrea and imprisoned there before escaping a second time. It has documented and published testimonies of former prisoners and has assisted asylum seekers across the UK, Europe and Africa.

HRCE also seeks fair treatment for Eritreans in the diaspora who claim asylum. It has reported to the United Nations Human Rights Council on issues such as postponed elections, the absence of an independent judiciary, bans on independent civil society, torture, forced disappearances, and lengthy military conscription. It has also documented attacks on Eritrean refugees in camps in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and their forced return to Eritrea.