[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 350 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 350
Recognizing widespread decades-long human rights abuses in Eritrea,
including indefinite imprisonment, inhumane prison conditions, and the
absence of democratic institutions, and expressing support for the
rights and freedom of the Eritrean people.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31, 2025
Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Coons) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing widespread decades-long human rights abuses in Eritrea,
including indefinite imprisonment, inhumane prison conditions, and the
absence of democratic institutions, and expressing support for the
rights and freedom of the Eritrean people.
Whereas, in 1993, Eritrea held a United Nations-supervised referendum in which
99.8 percent of voters supported independence from Ethiopia, leading to
international recognition of Eritrea as a sovereign state;
Whereas pro-independence politician Isaias Afwerki was chosen by the National
Assembly as the country's first post-independence President, and he has
remained in that position since 2013, even though Eritrea has never held
a national election;
Whereas, in the years immediately following independence, the Provisional
Government of Eritrea convened a Constitutional Commission to draft a
new constitution, a process which--
(1) included input from economic and social groups, civil society, and
diaspora communities; and
(2) sought to enshrine democratic rights and freedoms for the people of
Eritrea;
Whereas, when the Constitution of Eritrea was unanimously approved and ratified
in 1997, it included key freedoms, rights to participate ``in any
position of leadership in the country'' and ``conditions necessary for
developing a democratic political culture'', the ``right to vote'', the
``guarantee'' to actively participate in ``all political life'', and the
right to a ``fair, speedy, and public'' trial and ``due process'' of
law;
Whereas, despite ratification, the Constitution was never formally implemented,
and since independence, Eritrea has yet to hold a national election,
remaining a one-party state ruled by President Isaias Afwerki without a
functioning legislature, independent judiciary, or free press;
Whereas President Afwerki exercises de facto control over legislative functions,
including the National Assembly, which has not met since 2002;
Whereas, since independence, President Afwerki's government has maintained a
highly repressive grip on society through the use of arbitrary
detention, mass surveillance, and control of all religious and civic
organizations;
Whereas, in 2001, the Government of Eritrea shut down all independent press and
arrested a group of high-ranking former political leaders who called for
democratic reforms, known as the ``G-15'';
Whereas the 2016 United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea
concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the
Government of Eritrea had committed ``crimes against humanity'' in a
``widespread and systematic manner'' against its own population,
including imprisonment, enslavement, enforced disappearance,
persecution, and torture;
Whereas the 2019 UNHCR Global Trends Report ranked Eritrea among the top 10
countries of origin for refugees, with more than 500,000 displaced in
part due to political repression and systemic human rights abuses;
Whereas the 2024 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human
Rights in Eritrea mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council
found the human rights situation in Eritrea remains dire, with no signs
of institutional or policy reform, as citizens are subjected to
indefinite national service, arbitrary detention, enforced
disappearance, transnational repression, and a deeply entrenched culture
of fear;
Whereas Eritrea's extensive prison system includes secret and unofficial
detention centers where detainees are held indefinitely and often
without notification of charges or access to legal representation;
Whereas prisoners in Eritrea are routinely subject to inhumane and life-
threatening conditions, including--
(1) overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, including in underground
bunkers or shipping containers;
(2) extreme temperatures; and
(3) denial of adequate food, water, and medical care;
Whereas Eritrea has consistently refused to cooperate with the United Nations
Special Rapporteur or allow access for the United Nations Special
Rapporteur to conduct oversight on the country's human rights
conditions;
Whereas religious persecution remains widespread in Eritrea, with members of
faiths not recognized by the government routinely imprisoned and
subjected to torture and other cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment
for practicing their beliefs;
Whereas Eritrea's national service program was initially mandated to last 18
months, but has become indefinite and compulsory in practice for a
significant portion of the population, trapping thousands of youths into
years of effectively state-sponsored forced labor;
Whereas the 2024 and 2025 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index
ranked Eritrea last out of 180 countries, describing Eritrea as an
``information desert'' where no independent media outlets exist and
journalists face indefinite detention without trial; and
Whereas Eritrea remains diplomatically isolated as a result of its entrenched
autocracy and refusal to engage in human rights reforms--an isolation
that comes at a great cost to the Eritrean people: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) condemns the Government of Eritrea's systemic human
rights violations and abuses, which include arbitrary and
indefinite detention, religious persecution, and torture;
(2) calls on the Government of Eritrea to--
(A) release all unjustly and arbitrarily detained
political prisoners;
(B) provide for the human rights and fundamental
freedoms called for in its Constitution;
(C) provide an opportunity for the Eritrean people
to democratically choose their leaders; and
(D) allow the United Nations Special Rapporteur to
access the country;
(3) stands with the Eritrean people in their aspiration for
democratic governance, dignity, and freedom; and
(4) welcomes the prospect of stronger ties with Eritrea as
the country takes meaningful steps to open its political system
and advance human rights and fundamental freedoms.
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