Human Rights Abuse  Eritrean isolation has been exacerbated by their poor human rights record. Claims were presented to the UN of ‘extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, extended incommunicado detention, torture, indefinite national service, and lack of freedom of expression, assembly, religious belief and movement’1. Eritrea’s President, Isaias Afewerki, has been accused of using the threat of invasion as a justification for the highly militarised and brutal nature of his country2. This has attracted international criticism, with a joint statement from 44 countries condemning Eritrea’s infringement of human rights3.  1) The Guardian, ‘Eritrea’s human rights record comes under fire at United Nations’, 25 October 2013  2) Blair,D. ‘Eritrea: the African North Korea which thousands will risk anything to escape’ 3 October 2013  3) Joint statement of 44 countries, ‘Human rights Situation in Eritrea’, Human Rights Council, 13 March 2012