Eritrea has been widely condemned by international organizations for its widespread and systematic use of forced labor.

Canadian mining company Nevsun Resources may have engaged in forced labor practices during the construction of its Bisha copper mine in the northern Africa country of Eritrea, according to a lawsuit filed in Canada by three former employees.

The former laborers, who filed a lawsuit in the British Columbia Supreme Court last November, claim they were forcefully subjected to perform physical labor combined with long hours, intense heat and threats of torture.