Amnesty International voiced concern at a reported...

Amnesty International voiced concern at a reported Libyan plan to deport seven Eritrean army deserters to their country where they could face torture and execution without trial. "They could face torture, which is routinely used by the military in Eritrea, and at least two of them who had been previously detained in Eritrea for political reasons could face extrajudicial execution," said the human rights watchdog in a statement received in Cairo. "Libyan authorities should stop the return of these detainees to Eritrea," and allow them "immediate access to the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," it added. The seven men, aged in their late 20s and early 30s, deserted the Eritrean army at different times in 2002, fleeing first to Sudan and then to Libya, hoping to reach a country of asylum in Europe, Amnesty said.