Press release

The Permanent Mission of the State of Eritrea to the United Nations and other International Organizations takes note of the press statement issued on 31 October 2026 by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea and the Working Groups on Arbitrary Detention and Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.

The Mission wishes to recall that the Government of Eritrea has, on numerous occasions, provided substantive rebuttals to the allegations raised in the statement. These have been communicated through official submissions to the Human Rights Council, responses to reports of UN human rights mechanisms and other public statements. These include, inter alia:

• The Government of Eritrea's response to the Commission of Inquiry report, circulated as UN Document A/HRC/29/G/6 of 24 June 2015, addressing, among other matters, the historical and security context of developments in Eritrea and allegations subsequently reiterated by various UN mechanisms. https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/29/G/6
• The Permanent Mission's 27 June 2019 clarification concerning allegations relating to religious freedom and the coexistence of religious communities in Eritrea. https://shabait.com/2019/06/27/permanent-mission-of-the-state-of-eritrea-to-the-united-nations-geneva/
• The Government's response of 22 June 2021, providing detailed explanations concerning the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, religious freedom, freedom of expression and the methodology underpinning the allegations. https://shabait.com/2021/06/22/ministry-of-foreign-affairs-response-to-the-un-special-rapporteurs-report-on-eritrea/
• The Government's submission of 22 April 2026 concerning the UNHCR Guidance Note on Eritrea, addressing, among other issues, allegations relating to arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, national security and religious freedom. https://shabait.com/2026/04/23/unhcr-guidance-note-on-eritrea-fact-context-and-the-politics-of-omission/
• These submissions and statements remain part of the public record and articulate the Government's position on the matters concerned. Their existence and substance cannot be overlooked in subsequent assessments or reporting. The Mission considers it essential that any further reporting or public commentary on Eritrea engage meaningfully with this established record, rather than reproduce previously refuted allegations without adequate consideration of the explanations and information already provided. 

In this context, it must be underlined, as indeed explained in greater detail in Eritrea’s various submissions, that the allegations stem, in essence, from malicious political agendas and attempt to whitewash grave matters of sedition and other offenses that impinged on Eritrea’s national security.  On religious freedom, Eritrea is known for its institutionalized secularism and full respect of the religious rights of all Abrahamic faiths in the country within a harmonious multi-faith ecosystem.  

In the event, the Mission reiterates the importance of accuracy, impartiality, objectivity and methodological rigor in the work of UN human rights mechanisms. The exercise of these mandates carries corresponding responsibilities, including the careful verification of information, critical assessment of sources, consideration of relevant responses from the State concerned, and a clear distinction between allegations and independently substantiated findings. These principles are also reflected in the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate-Holders, adopted by Human Rights Council Resolution 5/2.

Allegations and innuendos must not be presented as established facts without adequate substantiation, nor should the Government's documented responses be treated as peripheral or merely procedural submissions.

Credible and impartial human rights reporting requires more than the repetition of allegations. It requires fairness, evidentiary rigor and a willingness to consider all relevant information. These principles are indispensable to the credibility of the UN human rights system and to the confidence that Member States and the international community place in its mechanisms.                                     

                                                                                                     Geneva 02 November 2026