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GENEVA: Eritrea is trying to cancel the mandate of a UN expert investigating alleged abuses, a document sent to the UN Human Rights Council showed, in a rare move that Western diplomats fear may set a precedent for states looking to escape scrutiny.

The Special Rapporteur, a position currently held by Sudanese human rights lawyer Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, is mandated to document violations in Eritrea, where civil society groups such as Human Rights Watch say impunity is widespread.

In a May report he described the situation as “critical,” highlighting cases of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and the use of lengthy national and military service terms that are driving thousands to flee.

Eritrea’s information ministry and its diplomatic mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Eritrea, which has long opposed the mandate, sent a large delegation to champion its proposal at a UN meeting in Geneva on Monday and voiced opposition to investigations targeting individual countries’ records.

States like Sudan, Russia and Iran backed it while the EU and Britain were among those who opposed it in a polarized debate, diplomats said.

The UN expert position was set up in 2012 by a group of African states and has been renewed annually by the Geneva-based council in an effort led recently by the European Union. But this year, Eritrea beat them to it and instead tabled a rival motion to discontinue the mandate, the document showed.

While states subject to UN investigations often lobby against them or try to dilute them, rights experts say there has never before been a proposal to end a mandate put before the council in its nearly 20-year history and worry it could embolden states looking to block accountability efforts. In 2023, Ethiopia tried to end a mandate early, before backing off.

“The EU recalls that the principles of sovereignty and non-interference in a state’s internal affairs do not free states from their obligations under international human rights law,” the EU delegate said in a statement shared with Reuters, arguing that Eritrea’s lack of consent “should not be used to escape international scrutiny.”

Many of the Geneva-based council’s other probes are typically brought by Western countries, such as those on Russia and Sudan. Sometimes the evidence they gather is used by international prosecutors.

A vote is expected next month.

JAKARTA: Indonesia is continuing to evacuate its nationals from Iran, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday amid fears of further Israeli bombardments despite ceasefire claims.

The Indonesian Embassy in Tehran has been on its highest alert since June 19, following a week of Israeli attacks on Iranian cities that Tel Aviv claimed were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Along with countries which evacuated their citizens from Iran amid growing destruction from Israeli attacks, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has moved 96 Indonesian citizens to Baku, Azerbaijan in its first phase of evacuation.

“There will be a second phase of evacuation, the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran is currently taking registration from other Indonesian citizens who wish to be evacuated,” Andy Rachmianto, director-general for protocol and consular affairs, told Arab News on Wednesday.

After Iran retaliated to Israel’s initial attacks with ballistic missile strikes, the two countries have been trading missiles, with the Israeli military increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure.

According to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Israeli military attacks have killed more than 600 people and wounded over 5,300 others.

Over the weekend, the US joined Israel in attacking Iran by striking Iranian nuclear facilities. In retaliation, Tehran launched a missile attack on the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in the Middle East.

Hours later, on Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire.

The Indonesian foreign affairs ministry said that its missions throughout the Middle East are “closely monitoring” the escalating situation between Israel, Iran and the US.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages Indonesian citizens who are now in the Middle East to increase vigilance and to continue monitoring the security situation as well as instructions issued by local authorities, and to avoid locations of assets belonging to countries in the conflict,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

Judha Nugraha, the director of citizen protection, told Arab News that the ministry is “ready to facilitate” the next evacuation.

There are nearly 400 Indonesian nationals living in Iran, most of whom are students, the ministry’s latest data showed.

On Tuesday, 11 Indonesians from the first group of evacuees arrived in Jakarta, to be followed by the arrival of 48 Indonesian nationals and one foreign national married to an Indonesian on Wednesday evening.

The rest of the group is scheduled to land in Jakarta on Thursday.