GENEVA: The United Nations’ top official for human rights expressed deep concern on Monday regarding the significant number of injuries sustained during recent confrontations in Israel involving protesters from Eritrea. The trouble began on Saturday when a protest against an event organized by the Eritrean government escalated into violence, resulting in injuries to nearly 140 individuals, including a dozen Eritrean asylum seekers who were wounded by gunfire from Israeli police.
Volker Turk, the UN’s human rights chief, conveyed his apprehension about the substantial injuries resulting from protests involving opposing groups of Eritrean demonstrators, particularly within Israel. He made these remarks via his social media platform, previously known as Twitter. Additionally, he emphasized the critical need for comprehensive investigations, the avoidance of hate speech, particularly by authorities, and the full adherence to the principle of non-refoulement.
The clashes initially erupted outside a venue in south Tel Aviv, designated to host a pro-regime event organized by the Eritrean embassy in Israel. A large number of anti-government Eritreans gathered to prevent the event from taking place, prompting Israeli police to declare their assembly illegal and issue orders to clear the street. Subsequently, confrontations between the demonstrators and the police occurred, with the authorities employing live ammunition against the rioters. According to an Israeli police statement, at least 49 police personnel sustained injuries during these clashes.
Simultaneously, confrontations emerged elsewhere in Tel Aviv between supporters and opponents of the Eritrean government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israel was contemplating the deportation of 1,000 Eritrean individuals who had participated in what he termed “riots” in Tel Aviv over the weekend. As of June, statistics indicated that there were 17,850 Eritrean asylum seekers residing in Israel.