Freedom of Expression and Belief in Eritrea – World Countries for Kids

The government shut down all independent media outlets way back in 2001. Many outlets provide coverage to Eritreans from outside the nation, including Paris-based Radio Erena, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and satellite station Asena TV. According to CPJ (the Committee to Protect Journalists), as of late 2023, 16 journalists are languishing in jail for their work in Eritrea; none have been charged.

Individual freedom to practice and express religious faith or nonbelief in public and private is very limited. The government places very strict limits on the exercise of religion. Eritrea formally recognizes only four faiths: Sunni Islam, Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, and Evangelical Lutheranism. Followers of other denominations are subject to arrest, incarceration, and the loss of property. Jehovah’s Witnesses face extreme persecution, including detention and denial of citizenship. Pentecostal and Evangelical Christians are also at risk of arbitrary arrest. Police arrested 30 Christian worshippers in March 2023 from a house in Keren. Nine other religious prisoners, including pastor Abenet Yemane, who has been jailed many times, were released from jails across the nation that same month, while an additional 13 prisoners were freed in July. Religious practice is banned among members of the military.

Asmara doesn’t even shy away from interfering in the practice of recognized faiths. In the year 2006, Abune Antonios, the patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church (EOC), was deposed. Later on, in the year 2019, Abune Antonios was expelled from the EOC for “heresy”. Until his death in February 2022, he remained under house arrest. In May 2021, Asmara the announcement of election of Abune Qerlos as patriarch. Qerlos passed away in December 2022.

Academic freedom is gravely constrained. It is a must for students in their last year of secondary school to perform military service at the Sawa military training center. In 2019, HRW (Human Rights Watch) reported that at Sawa widespread physical and sexual abuse took place. Academics prefer to practice self-censorship, and the government is known to interfere with their course content and limit their ability to conduct research abroad. The government has also shut down universities in the nation, prioritizing smaller colleges and technical schools.

individual freedom to express personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of retribution or surveillance is curtailed. Freedoms of expression and private discussion are rather inhibited by fear of government informants and the possibility of arrest and arbitrary detention for any airing of dissent. The authorities very often block access to social media platforms and shutter internet cafés.