ACHPR African Commission on Human and Peoples' F,ights Human F~ightsour Collective Responsibility Communication 704/18 - Berhane Abrehe Kidane (Represented by Solomon Weldekirstos and Eritrean Law Society) v The State of Eritrea Summary of Complaint: 1. The Secretariat of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (the Secretariat) received a complaint on 12 October 2018 from Solomon H. Welsdekirstos (the First Complainant) and the Eritrean Law Society (the Second Complainant) jointly submitted on behalf of Berhane Abrehe Kidane (the Victim). The First Complainant is the nephew of the-Victim and both Complainants are based in the United States of America. 2. The Complaint is submitted against the State of Eritrea (Eritrea/ the Respondent State), a State Party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (the African Charterj.I 3. The Complainants aver that the Victim is a 73-year-old citizen of the Respondent State and the former Minister of International Development and Finance of the same State. They note that he had a long history of involvement in the struggle for the liberation of ~ritrea from 1963and 1975 when he joined the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) respectively, and following the liberation of Eritrea in 1991 up to 2012 served in various senior government positions. 4. The Complainants aver that since independence the Respondent State has been ruled by the Peoples' Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), the successor to the EPLF, under the dominant leadership of incumbent President Isaias Afwerki. They claim that the President has, from time to time, been challenged~~~~,'of pis ( , , <;," colleagues and senior government officials regarding his administratio . \r ~ , L •.. j"} 1 () Eritrea ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on 14 Januari1~9 l\ll. Organ of the AfriGan (( ~~ Union '-.>rn~ \. '" AU i IA ',-<~~> . , ~ ~B;:~!1 ~J. c,.., The African Commission ~mf~~;PI~~' Rights 31 Bijilo Annex Layout. Kombo Nortii'Sisl.ill:t West Coast Region Phone: (220) 230 4361 Fax: (220) 441 0504 Email: au-baniulra>africa-union.ore https:/achpr,au,inVCI '-' a