Egypt began the forcible repatriation of over 1000 Eritrean refugees held in several prisons around the country Wednesday, June 11, despite a United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCR) non-return advisory for Eritrean refugees, said Britain-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
Three more flights were scheduled for Thursday 12 June, but CSW said it was unclear whether these took place as planned, or how many people were forcibly removed. Another flight was due late Friday, June 13, and more were expected the coming days.
The Eritreans were part of a group of around 1500 refugees who have been held for several months in a variety of Egyptian prisons where CSW said "conditions are unsatisfactory and food scarce."
NO SUNLIGHT
Men, women and children have reportedly been incarcerated without access to sunlight or fresh air, except during toilet breaks. Eritrean Human Rights Activist Elsa Chyrum of Human Rights Concern-Eritrea said in a statement that when they asked to be let out briefly for sunlight, detainees were fold "that Christians do not deserve sunlight, fresh air, or any kind of human treatment."
CSW said it has learned that prisoners were beaten, and "both male and female detainees were subjected to regular sexual harassment." It alleged that "in a further contravention of international law, the refugees were denied access to the services of the UNHCR.”
CSW warned that the deportees will almost “certainly face indefinite imprisonment and torture” while some even face extra-judicial execution. BosNewsLife reported earlier that at least three evangelical church leaders are facing execution on what rights groups have described as trumped-up charges of "treason."
Eritrean officials have denied that refugees face execution.
CSW said however its sources indicate that many of the returned refugees are former military who have fled Eritrea’s "often harsh and open-ended military service regime." Rights groups Human Rights Concern-Eritrea and Amnesty International have said that Eritreans deported from Malta in 2002 faced imprisonment, torture and extra-judicial executions. “I am so saddened. I dealt with the cases of those returned from Malta and know exactly how these people will be treated,” Chyrum added in a statement.
NO UNHCR
"If the Egyptian government did not want to look after these people, why did they not hand them over to the UNHCR…? Instead, knowing the human rights situation in Eritrea and the brutality of the government, the Egyptians are effectively sending them to death row."
Rights groups have accused Egypt of violating international treaties, including the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the United Nations Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, which it signed in 1981. "By returning refugees to a country where they are likely to face severe mistreatment, Egypt has contravened the international legal principle of non-refoulement," CSW said.
CSW National Director Stuart Windsor said his group has urged the international community to pressure Egyptian authorities to ensure that refugees "receive the protections that should be afforded to them under international law."
NO COMMENT
Egyptian authorities had no comment. Eritrea has defended its policy, especially towards Christian refugees, saying they have been worshipping outside the ‘official’ churches, in violation of the laws of the country. Some 2,000 Christians are currently jailed in Eritrea, including in military prison camps and even shipping containers, several investigators have confirmed.
Fearing deportation, many Eritrean refugees have fled to Egypt’s neighbor, Israel. The vast majority – about 2,800 – of the Africans who have entered Israel illegally from Egypt via Sinai in recent months are believed to from Eritrea, according to estimates. Several Christian groups are involved in supporting the refugees, BosNewsLife established. Eritrea’s ambassador to Israel, Tesfamariam Tekeste, has reportedly protested against Israel’s failure to repatriate the Eritreans and denied claims that repatriated Eritreans face execution.
"It’s an unfounded accusation,” Tekeste told Haaretz in a recent interview. “Many of those who come to Israel leave Eritrea legally and won’t be hurt if they return. Army deserters will be treated in accordance with the law and drafted." He also expressed anger about Eritrea’s characterization by Israeli officials as a dictatorship.
