PRESS RELEASE
Who We Are
Brgied N’hamedu is a grassroots, decentralized movement led by Eritrean youth—ordinary hands and hearts who carry extraordinary stories of survival. We are siblings, neighbors, and friends who fled persecution, forced conscription, and the suffocating cruelty of Isaias Afwerki’s regime, carrying scars from stolen childhoods, families shattered by tyranny, and wounds etched by state violence. Yet, we are Brgied N’hamedu: proof that even in the darkest night, the courage of ordinary youth can plant the seeds of liberation. We exist to expose the Eritrean regime’s crimes against humanity, mobilize global solidarity for democracy and justice in Eritrea, and protect diaspora communities from transnational repression.
Context of the Clashes
The Eritrean regime weaponizes state-controlled “cultural festivals” abroad to spread propaganda glorifying dictatorship; intimidate dissidents and extort financial contributions from diaspora communities; and surveil and threaten exiled Eritreans who dare to speak out.
For years, Eritrean refugees worldwide have peacefully protested these events to denounce the regime’s oppression. Since 2022, Eritrean communities worldwide, united under the banner of Brgied N’hamedu, have seen protests in Germany and elsewhere escalate only after regime loyalists violently attacked demonstrators, causing injuries and property damage. Those responsible for unlawful acts faced fair judicial proceedings, with Brgied N’hamedu cooperating fully to uphold the rule of law.
Unjust Targeting by German Authorities
Despite our unwavering commitment to peaceful advocacy and legal accountability, German authorities have recently conducted unjustified house-to-house raids targeting Eritrean refugees. These actions terrorize families, traumatize children, and violate fundamental human dignity. Furthermore, the baseless labeling of refugees as “terror suspects” compounds this injustice, reflecting a hypocritical double standard: violent clashes during May Day protests, football rivalries, and political demonstrations are routinely treated as civil disobedience, while Eritreans protesting dictatorship face disproportionate criminalization.
Statement from Brgied N’hamedu
“We are not terrorists; we are survivors. The real terror is the Eritrean regime, which hunts critics globally, silences dissent, and has turned Eritrea into an open-air prison. False accusations of ‘terrorism’ against our struggle for freedom not only misrepresent our cause but also dangerously align Germany with a dictatorship condemned by the United Nations for crimes against humanity. Our protests are a direct response to the regime’s relentless campaigns to harass, surveil, and threaten exiled Eritreans, even in democratic nations like Germany. We demand accountability for the regime’s crimes and protection for its victims.”
— Congress for Brgied N’hamedu
English