Human Rights Concern-Eritrea has learned that Mr Naizgi Kiflu has been ordered to return to Eritrea by the Eritrean government. The source informed us that this is an unexpected development for Mr Kiflu as he was not planning to go back to Eritrea in the near future due to his critical need of medical care.
 
While carrying out research on human rights abuses in Eritrea, Elizabeth Chyrum of Human Rights Concern –Eritrea came across cases of abuse committed by Mr Kiflu. After she spoke to one of his direct victims and other witnesses who know about his alleged crimes, in November 2005, she approached REDRESS (a London based organisation which seeks reparation for torture survivors) for advice. Having looked at the presented cases, REDRESS introduced Elizabeth Chyrum to the Metropolitan Police to see whether there is sufficient evidence for prosecution under section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
 
Mr Kiflu’s alleged crimes committed in Eritrea were investigated by Metropolitan Police. After interviewing three witnesses, the case was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Services in June 2007. Unfortunately, the investigating officers verbally told Elizabeth Chyrum and REDRESS that due to a lack of enough evidence they have not been able to prosecute Mr Kiflu, but they said the case is still open. Mrs Chyrum managed to track down four of his direct victims in Diaspora, but they were not willing to co-operate for various reasons. Therefore the case has been brought to a halt.

Both Elizabeth Chyrum and REDRESS have asked the Metropolitan Police to write to them setting out clearly what has been happening with the case. However, to date nothing has been received in writing.

Human Rights Concern- Eritrea and Mr Kiflu’s victim and witnesses believe that even one witness could be sufficient to have Mr Kiflu prosecuted for torture. After a long wait to see justice prevail, the victims feel very disappointed to see Mr Kiflu still walking as a free man.

We also believe that the reason behind Mr Kiflu’s unplanned flight at this time could only be that the Eritrean government and Mr Kiflu might have been given tips by the U.K Foreign office to avoid embarrassment to both governments. On behalf of Mr Kiflu’s victims, Human Rights Concern - Eritrea and Reporters Without borders were in the process of exposing his alleged crimes to the British public and the international community, but due to new development, Human Rights Concern – Eritrea was forced to break this news unexpectedly. A more detailed report by Reporters Without Borders on this case will follow soon.

Mr Kiflu in UK:

Mr Kiflu  came to the UK in February 2005 to become an Eritrean Ambassador to the UK and Ireland. However, his letter of credentials was refused and two months later he was returned to Eritrea. In Eritrea, he managed to switch his diplomatic passport to an ordinary passport in order to apply for a family reunion visa. Within a short period of time he obtained an Indefinite Leave to Remain (a permanent residence visa) and he came back to the UK in May 2005 to join his wife and two children who have been living in London for over 15 years.

The irony of this story is that Mr Kiflu has been residing in London, UK since May 2005, while he still holds his position as an adviser on Local Government Affairs to President Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea. He is believed to reside in England due to the dialysis he needs for his kidneys. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naizghi_Kiflu.

Mr Kiflu’s past and present roles and responsibilities in Eritrea:

• In the seventies he was a representative of the Eritrean People Liberation Front (EPLF) in Algeria.
• At the end of the eighties, he joined the Eritrean People Liberation Front (EPLF) in Eritrea, and became second in charge of Halewa Sewra (i.e. Revolutionary Guard),  an organ of the EPLF, whose role was to protect the movement at any cost. We were told that, under Halewa Sewra many innocent fighters were arbitrarily detained, tortured, disappeared, or executed. They had so many spies infiltrated amongst the liberation fighters. 
• After the independence of Eritrea in 1991, he worked at the Ministry of Interior. He was second in charge of the internal affairs, security, immigration and religious affairs.
• During the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia (1998-2000), he was the Eritrean ambassador in Russia.
• In 2001, he became Information Minister.
• He was in charge of religious affairs under the Ministry of regional administration. 
• In the end he also became President Isaias Afewerki’s advisor on Local Government Affairs. 

Mr Kiflu’s health condition:

He suffers from a kidney problem, and diabetes. He has been treated at the Royal Free Hospital (in Hampstead), London, UK, using the National Health Services. The reason for his staying in London was just to get free treatment at the expense of UK tax payers. Eighteen months ago he went to Pakistan to get a kidney transplant. The Eritrean Embassy in Pakistan had facilitated the treatment and he was given  a 30-year-old Pakistani man’s kidney at the expense of the Eritrean tax payers. We were told that the Eritrean Embassy in Pakistan paid £18,000 for his treatment. He is still in need of great medical attention. 

Mr  Kiflu’s alleged crimes:

Mr Kiflu is reported to be a well known criminal who has put many people in jail without any due legal process and has inflicted torture and pain on innocent people. Although it is difficult to prove most of his crimes, at least three people gave evidence to Metropolitan Police and many others spoke to Elizabeth Chyrum of their experiences of Mr Kiflu’s cruelty.

To mention just some of his crimes:

1. According to two ex-prisoners’ testimonies:

In January 1996, Mr Kiflu went to ADI- QUALA prison and 148 prisoners were called to come out of their prison cells, and they were gathered in the prison compound heavily guarded. Then Mr Kiflu loudly started reading the life prison sentence by calling all the 148 prisoners’ name.

Mr Kiflu also read out prison sentences for another group of 85 prisoners on the same day. Those people were sentenced from 10-15 years starting from April 1995, although they were detained well before that.

He also read out prison sentences of 8-10 years for 135 prisoners starting from the day they were detained.

Some of the prisoners have since died due to the harsh prison conditions.

2. Mr Kiflu was the Information Minister when all the independent newspapers were closed down, and twelve or more journalists were arrested in September 2001. They are still detained incommunicado, and the newspapers remain closed. It is said that he is responsible for their arrest and for closing the independent media.

3. On 15 May 2002, Mr Kiflu was still the Information Minister and he summoned all the evangelical church leaders and ordered them to close their churches. In that meeting he told them to execute the order, otherwise, if they protest, he told them that he would record their reactions and whatever they say could be used against them at any stage. Pastor Haile Naizghi, Dr Kiflu Gebremeskel and Pastor Tesfatsion Hagos were very vocal and expressed their disagreement. It was reported that they were arrested by his direct order in May 2004.

4. Mr Kiflu also ordered the arrest of three Orthodox Church priests in November 2004. The names of the priests are: Rev. Dr Futsum Gebremedhin (Eritrea’s only psychiatrist), Rev. Dr Tekleab Mengisteab (a medical doctor) and Rev. Gebremedhin Gebreghiorgis (a prominent theologian).

5. He also ordered the arrest of an official of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church in 2004.

While he has been enjoying a comfortable life with his family in a  house valued at about £300,000 or more in London, those victims of his we have mentioned above are still detained incommunicado under harsh conditions, their children are orphaned and their wives are living in misery.

There are many more horrifying stories about Mr Kiflu. With time all those who are withholding information for fear of repercussions will hopefully come forward to tell about their experiences of the torture inflicted by this cruel and barbaric man. With his current plan to return to Eritrea, he will still continue to inflict torture and pain with impunity. It is unfortunate that the British legal system has not managed to prosecute him.  Those who witnessed his crimes or who were themselves victims of this cruel man in the past could have made a difference to the outcome of the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision.

Human Rights Concern – Eritrea
2 May 2008
London, U.K.