PRESS RELEASE: Eritrean Refugees.

December 3rd, 2010 Sinai/Eritrean Refugees. EveryOne Group: “We know where the prisoners are being held. It is up to the authorities to intervene now” The human rights organization has informed the United Nations of the whereabouts of the Eritrean refugees. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the trafficking of human beings has confirmed to EveryOne that after these revelations the case has officially become top priority. We have also alerted the Mossad to prevent an escape through the tunnels on the border between Egypt and Palestine. “We have finally identified the exact location (in Northern Sinai, on the border with Israel) where traffickers have been holding 250 African refugees prisoner for over a month. 74 of the prisoners are Eritreans” say the co-presidents of EveryOne group, Roberto Malini, Matteo Pegoraro and Dario Picciau. “During the night we received confirmation of the exact location from the hostages themselves, who we are in contact with through don Mussie Zerai from Agenzia Habeshia. The migrants are being held chained up in shipping containers in groups of 25/30. The coordinates for reaching the traffickers' hideout - a city and a building - remain confidential information for the present, and are being transmitted through reserved diplomatic channels to avoid consequences for the hostages themselves. We have communicated the prisoners' whereabouts to the offices of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; and the top officials of the European Commission and Council. The UN Special Rapporteur into human trafficking is looking closely into the matter, and after receiving our information has told us that the case is now a priority for the United Nations.” The activists have also provided the UN with the direct phone number of a local person who is able to lead the police to the exact spot. “We believe several Italian MPs and senators, including Stefania Craxi, Pietro Marcenaro, Gino Bucchino, Jean-Léonard Touadi and Marco Perduca (who we are in contact with) are asking the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene. We are, however, launching yet another appeal to international authorities and institutions - alongside Agenzia Habeshia, ASPER (a human rights association that defends the rights of the Eritrean people), and several other NGOs - asking them to take immediate action now they know the exact location of the prison. We are asking the Egyptian Government to arrest the traffickers and rescue all the migrants being held prisoner, many of whom are seriously wounded and sick. They are being subjected to torture, deprived of food and running water, and any kind of assistance. The refugees are unable to pay their release money of 8,000 dollars each, and those holding them prisoner are now turning to the illegal market of organ trafficking, a crime which is unfortunately very common in Egypt. To prevent the traffickers getting away - and transferring the hostages to the tunnels between the Egyptian and Palestinian border - EveryOne has asked for the support of the Israeli Mossad, which has perfect knowledge of the tunnels' structure as they have been used in the past by traffickers to avoid investigations into their trafficking in weapons, and human beings for ransom or for organs - something that represents a serious problem in Egypt.” Contacts: EveryOne Group +39 393 4010237 :: +39 331 3585406 info@everyonegroup.com :: www.everyonegroup.com