Mr. Speaker, the next petition is with respect to the human rights situation in Eritrea. The petitioners note that Eritrea has been ruled by an authoritarian, brutal dictator, under a totalitarian system for the last 30 years, with no constitution, no elections, no parliament, no freedom of press or freedom of movement and association.
There are many different points made in the petition about the human rights situation in Eritrea; there are also concerns raised about foreign interference and the collaboration of the Eritrean government with the Putin regime.
The petitioners therefore call on the Government of Canada to engage Eritrean political and human rights activists and pro-democracy groups, to take a leading role among western allies to challenge the Eritrean dictator's malicious conspiracy with Vladimir Putin, to investigate foreign interference here in Canada, to strengthen sanctions against human rights abusers and to advocate for the release of all imprisoned journalists and imprisoned Eritrean parliamentarians.