Arbitrary arrest and detention without charge have been used on a vast scale in Eritrea to silence all dissent and to punish anyone who refuses to comply with the manifold restrictions the government places on human rights. Amnesty International assesses that since Eritrea’s independence, at least 10,000 political prisoners have been detained: none of these has ever been charged or tried. In this statement Amnesty International urges the Human Rights Council to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur; the Eritrean government to provide her access to the country.
