Eritrea


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Eritrea: Ongoing Arrests of Evangelical Christians

In mid-March, 29 evangelical Christians were arrested when Eritrean security forces raided a home prayer meeting in Asmara. According to reports, 17 women and 12 men were taken to the Mai Serwa prison camp on the outskirts of the capital city.

It is unknown what led to this attack. Since worship outside of government-recognized churches is illegal, most gatherings take place in private homes. However, each residential area is known to have government spies who report "unusual activities" to the authorities. The believers have not been formally charged and it is unknown at this point if they will be.

Over the years, Christians in Eritrea have been held indefinitely without charges, sometimes for weeks. There are also numerous cases in which people have been held for several years without charge. Closer to the Fire host Greg Musselman is joined by Dr. Berhane Asmelash to discuss the current arrests and the ongoing persecution of Eritrean followers of Jesus. Dr. Asmelash currently serves as the Director of Release Eritrea, an organization dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians in this East African nation.

Length: 41 minutes

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada

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Country Information

Designation
Persecuted

Population
6,147,398 (July 2021 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Tigrinya (50), Tigre (30), Saho (4), Afar (4) Kunama (4), Bilen (3), other (5)

Religion (%)
Islam (47.4), Christianity (48.8), other (3.8)

Leader
President Isaias Afworki (1993)

Government type
Presidential republic

Legal system
Mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Sources: CIA World Factbook, Operation World

Pray for Eritrea

Ask the Lord to provide imprisoned Eritrean believers a means of escape and a place of safe refuge. Pray for Him to also work deeply in the hearts of the country's governing officials so they will grant His people the freedom to worship Him and glorify His matchless name. Mindful of their own human frailties, may these political leaders realize the need to make Jesus their own personal Saviour and Lord by accepting His gift of eternal salvation.

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