Source: Mirjam van Reisen

I strongly object to the reaction of the #Sweden justice minister, Gunnar Strömmer, said in a written statement to the Swedish news agency TT following the violent breakup of the #Eritrea #PFDJ festival for the following reasons:

1. The justice Minister is responsible for ensuring that asylum seekers are protected and secure and safe. The festivals are a tool by the dictatorial regime of #Eritrea to undermine the protection, security and safety of refugees from Eritrea. Minister is responsible to halt it

3. The poet and author Dawid Isaac has been held in prison in #Eritrea for more than two decades without trial. The refugees demand his freedom. He is the symbol of freedom of speech that doesn’t exist in Eritrea. The Minister has the mandate and duty to work for his release

4. The genocidal violence of #Eritrea against #Tigray should not be promoted by hate speech and propaganda at a festival in Sweden. The Minister is responsible for ensuring the perpetration of atrocity crimes are persecuted under the international system to prevent such crimes

5. Refugees from #Eritrea flee crimes against humanity perpetrated by the regime in #Eritrea and in #Libya against them. The Minister should fight impunity and end such perpetration so that people can build their lives with their families in their homes

6. The long arm Enforcer #Eriblood or “52” is known for initiating violence that the regime uses to scapegoat the #Eritrea|n refugees. The minister is responsible for investigating any links of 52 to the initiation of violence of the peaceful demonstrations as a tool to scapegoat

7. The 52 militia #Eriblood should be prohibited in #Sweden and in Europe as it violates the spirit of anti-terrorism laws to protect the law and order on our continent. No violence by private foreign militia should be condoned. Minister: it is a red line

8. HE said: “It is not reasonable for Sweden to be drawn into other countries’ domestic conflicts. If you flee to Sweden to escape violence or visit, you must not cause violence. The police’s resources are needed for other purposes than keeping different groups apart from each other.”

9. My observation is that #Sweden‘s Minister of Justice should be informed about the criminal activity that is perpetrated at the festivals organised by the Regime of #Eritrea in Sweden – where this was first reported in 2013 and work hard to end these criminal festivals