ERITREAN FORUM FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY

June 19, 2004

His Excellency Muammar al-Ghaddafi
Leader of the Revolution

C/o Libyan Embassy in Canada

H.E. Ali Aujali, Charge d'Affairs

People’s Bureau of The Great Socialist

People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

81 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1000

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

K1P 6K7

Re: Eritrean Refugees detained in Libya info@gaddaficharity.org

info@libya-canada.org

Your Excellency,

The Eritrean Forum for Peace and Democracy commonly known as EriForum would like to bring to your attention matters concerning the Eritrean refugees that are being held in Libya. Among those Eritreans who are held at Jazat Prison House (Tripoli), fifteen individuals are about to be deported back to Eritrea against their will within short days.

EriForum is an advocacy group for human rights and democracy in solidarity with the Eritrean people who are suffering human right violations under the leadership of President Isaias Afewerki. We are confident that you are aware of the current situation in Eritrea since it has taken international attention by the European Union, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the United States of America.

Eritrean government continually rejected human rights dialogue, and have failed to demonstrate to the international community any commitment to respect and protect human rights. It limits access to the country and attempts to conceal a persistent pattern of serious violations of internationally recognized human rights and breaches of the international and regional human rights treaties, which the government has ratified. In Eritrea it is a common systemic practice of disappearances and extrajudicial executions, harassment and intimidation, religious persecution, torture and ill treatment of prisoners, atrocious prison conditions, abuses of military conscripts, sexual violence against women conscripts, child soldier recruitments.

Report on Eritrea by Amnesty International (AI INDEX: AFR64/003/2004, 19 May 2004) is a confirmation to the gross human rights violation in the country.

Your Excellency,

The above practices are just few of many, contrary to the tenets your leadership and Ghaddafi International Foundation For Charity Association of your Excellency.

Recent media reports have confirmed the individuals in the process of deportation include: Frezghi Teclezghi, Birhana Seyum, Teclemicael, Adhanet Tesfalidet, Yirga-alem Girmay, Micael Hagos, Micael Mulugeta, Tzega Habtemariam, Solomon Kebede, Habtom Mengis, Salim Abdu, Amanuel Kidane, Girmay Woldu, Gidey and Awet.

In 2002 several hundred Eritreans leaving Libya (via Sudan) landed on the island of Malta, mainly as a result of shipwreck or sea rescue, and were detained. In September and October 2002 Malta forcibly deported some 220 Eritreans back to Eritrea, where they were all immediately detained on arrival in Asmara and sent to the nearby Adi Abeto military detention centre. To this day, their whereabouts is unknown.

Your Excellency,

It is our strong believe your leadership would not allow deporting innocent refugees to such fate, and thus we humbly appeal to your Excellency for assurance, as the refugees deserve your protection and the right to refugee status in accordance to UN Refugee Convention and International Law.

Yours respectfully,

Board of Directors

cc. Amnesty International, Canada

Mr. Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs Canada

Human Rights Watch

African Union

EriForum Toronto torontoeriforum@yahoo.ca