IRF Roundtable Reports Advocacy Win: UN Human Rights Council Renews Eritrea Mandate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Roundtable welcomes the decision by the UN Human Rights Council on July 4 to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, while rejecting a competing resolution that would have weakened international oversight and silenced accountability efforts.

The vote comes after a coordinated multi-faith letter by the IRF Roundtable Africa Working Group and an open letter by Human Rights Concern Eritrea urging member states to maintain independent monitoring mechanisms amid credible reports of serious human rights abuses in Eritrea—including arbitrary detention, indefinite national service, religious persecution, and transnational repression.

“Today, justice triumphed over tyranny. The international community stood firm for human rights and accountability by renewing the Special Rapporteur’s mandate and rejecting Eritrea’s attempts to silence the truth,” said Elizabeth Chyrum, Director of Human Rights Concern – Eritrea (HRCE).

The IRF Roundtable’s multi-faith letter, joined by religious leaders and civil society partners, emphasized the importance of continued scrutiny and advocacy for those who cannot speak freely.

“This decision reaffirms that collective advocacy—grounded in faith and freedom—can uphold justice even in the face of repression,” said Kaylee Fisher, Global Operations Director of the IRF Roundtable.

The IRF Roundtable will continue to stand alongside the Eritrean people and all who face religious persecution, committed to advancing freedom of belief for all.

###

About the IRF Roundtable:
The IRF Roundtable is a multi-faith, inclusive, and informal network of individuals from non-governmental organizations who gather regularly to discuss and advance the cause of international religious freedom. Our mission is to promote freedom of religion or belief for all people, everywhere, through respectful dialogue, strategic partnerships, and collective action.


All media inquiries and press communications for the IRF Roundtable are managed and facilitated by the IRF Secretariat.

For further information, please contact:  

Kaylee Fisher

kfisher@irfsecretariat.org

www.irfsecretariat.org  

www.irfroundtable.org 

Next
Next

IRF Roundtable Congratulates Congressman Mark Walker on Appointment as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom