In mid-April, a group of 103 young Christians, some of whom are students from the Mai-Nefhi technical college, gathered in the Eritrean capital of Asmara. Their purpose was to sing songs of praise, which they recorded to share on YouTube. However, since these believers are not members of a government-approved church, their meeting was deemed illegal.
The authorities arrested all who were present and, according to reports, these Christians were taken to the notorious Mai Serwa prison. Since 2002, thousands of Eritreans from churches banned by the government have been sent to prison, often held inhumanely in metal shipping containers and subjected to volatile conditions and torture. Those arrested are typically held without charges against them, sometimes for many years.
Estimates vary as to the number of religious prisoners currently being detained in Eritrea. With these latest arrests, the number is estimated to be over 500. Most Christian prisoners are believed to be Pentecostal or of other evangelical denominations. For more information on the persecution experienced by followers of Jesus in Eritrea, go to our country report.
Pray for the safety and well-being of these young people who have been unjustly detained for their faith, asking our Heavenly Father to provide each one of them divine protection, strength and courage as they await their hopeful release from Mai Serwa prison. Please also continue to intercede for the deliverance of the many other suffering Christians who are presently being held in Eritrean prisons – often for years without charges or proper court hearings. In the meanwhile, through the steadfast faith and testimonies of the detained believers, may the lives of many Eritreans in need of eternal salvation – including fellow prisoners, guards and judicial officials – be spiritually rescued from darkness and transformed in God's marvellous light.
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