| RL News Update on Outrages: Eritrea Continues Campaign against Christians Faith McDonnell Since we published our feature story on Eritrea in Faith and Freedom in the fall of 2005, we have received on a continual basis more bad news about the treatment of Christians in that country. Hundreds more, from all denominations, have been arrested and imprisoned. Some have been tortured to death. The only good news is of the release from prison of a few Eritrean Christians. One such bright spot was the release of Eritrean gospel singer Helen Berhane in October 2006. Eritrean Christians need our prayers and advocacy. The most recent crackdown took place in the first week of 2007. Compass Direct News Service reports that 68 more Christians have been jailed as a result of three official round-ups that took place January 4 and 5, 2007. According to Compass Direct, on January 4, authorities at the national Sawa Military Center, near the Sudan
Also on January 5, in the southern city of Assab, 25 Christians were arrested in their homes, workplaces, and schools. They were taken to Wi'a military training center, which has been described as "one of the hottest spots in the world." Number of Imprisoned Believers Grows Every Year In February 2006, 75 Protestant Christian evangelical young men and women were arrested. The arrest occurred during their required military conscription at Sawa, the military training center mentioned above. These young students were put under military detention and punishment "for reading Bibles and praying during free time." An Eritrean Christian told Compass Direct that in Sawa "to possess your own Bible and keep your personal devotion and loyalty to Christ" was considered an act of Christian "extremism." Yet Muslim conscripts were allowed to have their own copies of the Koran and to pray five times a day. Fifty more Christian students were arrested in May 2006 at Mai Nefhee Educational Institution, another military training center, in Asmara. Other human rights violations in 2006 reported by Compass Direct included the arrest of Daniel Heilemichel, pastor of the Charismatic Word of Power Church, on February 23; the arrest of three leaders of the Orthodox Church renewal movement, Medhane Alem, in April; and the arrest of three laywomen from the Full Gospel Church of Nefasit in May for "actively witnessing about Christ." All three women were mothers of young children, and one, Ghenet Gebremariam, was forced to leave her six-month old baby who was seriously ill. The baby died two days after his mother's arrest. Also in May, 15 of 130 Christians kept in metal shipping containers at Assab's military prison camp attempted to escape across the desert towards Djibouti. The bodies of five of those men were found in the desert. Twenty-nine Christians from Asmara, Keren, and Massawa were arrested in August 2006. In October, Compass Direct reported the terrible news that Eritrean security police had tortured two Christians to death. Immanuel Andegergesh, 23, Kibrom Firemichel, 30, and 10 other Christians were arrested on October 15 for having a worship service in a private home south of Asmara. Andegergesh and Firemichel died two days later from torture wounds and dehydration. Also in April an Eritrean-born U.S. citizen, Aregahaje Woldeselasie, and his assistant were arrested. Woldeselasie was working with Nehemiah Ministry International, providing leadership training to new churches. Two large-scale crackdowns on Christians also took place in October 2006. Compass Direct reported that at 6:00 a.m. on October 25, security officers in Mendefera went house to house, arresting Christians. The police had a list of names of Christians known to be members of the Pentecostal churches and the Orthodox renewal movement. They arrested 38 men and 17 women, including 10 nursing mothers who were forced to leave their infants. The next day, the crackdown continued and 95 Christians were arrested. Finally, on December 4, nine employees of Samaritan's Purse were arrested and jailed in Asmara. The next day, the Eritrean government took control of all financial and personnel matters away from the Eritrean Orthodox Church. All offerings and tithes collected by the churches were to be deposited directly to the Eritrean government. The regime of President Isaias Afwerki had already taken similar control of other denominations. In September the regime demanded that the Kale Hiwot (Protestant) Church surrender all of its property and assets to the government. The persecution of Christians in Eritrea has broadened from the arresting only pastors and members of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches to arresting Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians. Now the government of Eritrea is even lashing out at Muslims. Sources confirmed to Compass Direct in April 2006 that 70 Muslims were imprisoned in one cell at the notorious Wongel Mermera center, where they were receiving extremely harsh treatment. The Muslims, arrested for opposing the government's appointment of the chief mufti, include Taha Mohammed Noor, a founding member of the Eritrean Liberation Front in 1961 and a member of the Islamic Awqaf (religious foundation). Compass Direct reports that Noor has refused under torture to accept the government's imposition of Sheikh Al-Amin Osman Al-Amin as mufti. Freed at Last: One Eritrean Christian's Imprisonment
Comes to an End Compass Direct reported that no reason was given for Berhane's release. The news service noted that just prior to the release, she had been hospitalized after undergoing the most recent round of beatings. Months after her return home, Berhane was still in a wheelchair due to injuries inflicted on her legs during beatings and torture. "She spent most of her detention in inhuman and degrading conditions inside a metal shipping container which was used as a prison cell," Amnesty International reported in an announcement about her release. "The authorities reportedly tortured her many times to make her recant her faith." Amnesty added that "she refused to abandon her faith despite the threats and ill-treatment." It revealed that many internationally known musicians, including Gwen Stefani, Coldplay, Duran Duran, and Sting, had joined in speaking out for Berhane's release. Many attribute Helen Berhane's release to the prayers of fellow Christians around the world. But the prayers must continue on behalf of the 2,000-plus who remain religious prisoners in Eritrea. Please pray—and thank God for the faithful witness of these men, women, and young people, as well. Reportedly, authorities have had to separate the Christian prisoners from others because the Christians were sharing the gospel with the other prisoners! And Compass Direct reports that the jailed Christian leaders are themselves praying. According to one pastor's message smuggled out of the prison, "Everyone is strong in the Lord and praying for the church under attack."
To learn more, read the latest report from Compass Direct.
Institute on Religion and Democracy |