Petition and letter to free five Eritrean refugees detained in Egypt after peaceful protest

Letters by Human Rights Concern Eritrea and Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights ask for the immediate release of five detained Eritreans in Cairo, Egypt. The five were arrested on July 21, 2019, and are held in an undisclosed location without access to legal representation. The detained are part of a group of around 500 Eritreans who demonstrated peacefully against alleged mismanagement and corruption by Cairo’s UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) office. Their trial is set today (7 August 2019).

News Highlights: EU migration project in Sudan suspended, Eritrean Patriarch removed, Refugees arrested in Egypt

In this week’s news highlights: EU migration project in Sudan suspended since mid-March; “Solidarity mechanism” approved by 14 European ministers, Italy not included; €2 million for UNHCR in Libya from Germany; Critical report on EU migration policies; Italy wants to raise fines for NGO rescue operations; Band-sponsored rescue mission announced; Eritrean Orthodox Patriarch accused of heresy is removed from Church; IMF reports “disastrous” economic situation of Eritrea; Sudan Military announces failed coup attempt; Negotiations Sudan postponed; NGOs ask ACHPR to investigate human rights violations in Libyan detention centres; Tunisia unable to bury corpses of drowned refugees and migrants.

News Highlights: Closure of migrant reception centre, Refugees released from Tajoura detention centre, Letter on the special rapporteur mandate

In this week’s news highlights: Matteo Salvini shuts one of the largest migrant reception centre in Sicily; Sea Watch 3 captain Carola Rackete sues Matteo Salvini for defamation; Madrid plans to tax Open Arms NGO with fines for rescuing migrants; Sea Eye NGO boat allows to disembark 65 migrants in Malta; EU Commissioner Dimitri Avramopoulos urges the EU to reform migrants’ arrival process; Sudanese citizens slowly access internet on mobile phone after one-month-shutdown; No progress detected one year after peace deal between Eritrea and Ethiopia; Organizations call for support of the mandate renewal of the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea; Eritrea: Former Sawa students of Eritrean military high school describe practices of Eritrean authorities; Refugees detained in Libyan detention centre share horrific experiences of the military strike; UN arrays emergency assistance for refugees in Tajoura; Migrants in Tajoura centre start hunger strike to be evacuated.