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Eritrea

• Last Foreign Correspondent Expelled

  Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed

  On September 9, the last foreign correspondent in Eritrea, Jonah Fisher, who worked with BBC and Reuters, was expelled from the country without explanation. According to Fisher, three weeks earlier, Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed had criticized his "racist negative reporting," saying that he "knew who I really worked for." In the past, Eritrea has accused journalists of being foreign spies and jailed them for "national security" reasons.

  Fisher had frequently been critical of the human rights violations in Eritrea, including a May 24 article entitled for the London daily, "The Independent," "To some Eritreans, freedom means prison and torture" (click here to view article). There has been no independent press in the country since September 2001 and at least fourteen Eritrean journalists are in prison.

  Hundreds of Christians are presently in prison in Eritrea because of their faith. We encourage Christians around the world to pray for their brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith, often without a voice to let the world know. The Eritrean government has repeatedly and vehemently denied that anyone is in prison for religious reasons.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in Eritrea,click here. To view a VOM video report released earlier this year, go to the Video section of https://www.vomcanada.com/. To listen to a shortwave radio program in Tigrinya that VOM is helping broadcast into Eritrea to encourage the believers there, click here and find the link to our international shortwave programs.

• Jailed Pastors Moved Without Notice

  Family and friends of three Eritrean pastors are "in distress and deep sadness" after discovering that their loved ones had been moved to an unknown location. According to a Compass Direct, the wives and friends were bringing food and clothing to the prison on August 24 when they were informed that the men were no longer there.

  Rev. Haile Naizgi and Dr. Kiflu Gebremeske, and Pastor Tesfatsion Hagos have been in prison since May without charges and have been refused any personal contact with their families. According to Eritrean sources, their disappearance may be good or bad news. In the past, prisoners have, at times, been taken to an unknown location and then released. Other times, they are moved and remain in custody.

  At least four hundred evangelical Christians remain in custody for their faith. In May 2002, the Eritrean government made all religions illegal other than Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran and Islam. More information on the situation in Eritrea is available through a VOM video news report, filmed on location in Eritrea. To view the report, go to the video section of our multimedia website (click here).

  Pray for safety and strength for these pastors and the hundreds of others in prison for their faith. Pray that the families will obtain information on the whereabouts of their loved ones.

  For more information on Eritrea and the persecution facing the church there,click here.

• Police Stop a Wedding, Arresting the Guests

  Eritrean pastor shows how he was tortured by Eritrean authorities

  Since May 2002, Eritrean authorities have been cracking down on religious gatherings by unofficial religious groups. A community hit particularly hard has been evangelical Christians. It appears that weddings are now being considered illegal as well. On July 25, police stormed a wedding in the town of Senafe, demanding that the ceremony stop. They ordered everyone who was not a "Pente" to leave. The abbreviation of Pentecostals is used as a generic label for all evangelicals.

  According to a July 30 report from Compass Direct, about thirty evangelicals were arrested, including the bride's father and his whole family. They were held until July 29, when all but two were released, after agreeing to not participate in any evangelical weddings in the future. An evangelist from the local Kale Hiwot church, Michel, and an elder of the church in his eighties, Teame Kibrom, continue to be held in custody. Police claim that the two are responsible for the wedding that "violated Eritrean cultural traditions."

  Pray for the continued endurance of evangelical Christians facing this barrage of harassment from authorities. Pray for the Lord's protection of Michel, Kibrom, and more than four hundred other Eritrean evangelical Christians who are in custody because of their faith.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in Eritrea,click here.

• Updates on Imprisoned Eritrean Leaders

  Helen Berhane is being held in shipping containers like these

  According to a July 28 report from Compass Direct, the Eritrean police continue to refuse three prominent evangelical leaders any contact with their families (click here for information on their arrests). They have been held since May without formal charges. A prominent singer arrested at the same time, Helen Berhane, is reported to be in solitary confinement in a shipping container at the Mai Serwa military camp just north of Asmara. Two other evangelicals, Pastor Mengse Tweldemedhane and popular Christian singer Yonas Haile, managed to escape the Sawa military camp in June and have fled to Sudan (click here for more details on Tweldemedhane's arrest).
• Key Christian Leaders Arrested

  Shipping containers, such as these, have frequently been used to hold Christian prisoners, including Helen Berhane.

  On May 26, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on an urgent prayer request in Eritrea. At the time, we were unable to give any details for security reasons. We are now able to give more information for your prayers.

  Between May 13 and May 27, four Christians were arrested: a popular singer, the pastor of an evangelical church, and two key evangelical leaders.

  On May 13, Helen Berhane, 29, a member of the Rema Evangelical Church in Asmara, was arrested. She had recently released a recording that was popular among the youth. Refusing to sign papers that would require her to recant her faith and stop singing, she is imprisoned in a shipping container at the Mai Serwa military camp.

  On the early morning of May 23, two key leaders of the Full Gospel (Mullu Wongel) Church, one of Eritrea's largest Pentecostal denominations, were arrested at their homes in Asmara. Haile Naizgi is currently the chairman of the Full Gospel Church. Married with four children, he was previously an accountant with World Vision. He is being held in Asmara's Police Station #1. Dr. Kuflu Gebremeskel is chairman of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance and a former mathematics professor at the University of Asmara. He is presently being held in Asmara's Police Station #6. VOM sources have reported that this station is a particularly terrible place with underground dungeons. Neither man is being allowed any visitor access, including family.

  On the same day, police attempted to arrest Pastor Tesfatsion Hagos of the Rema Evangelical Church in Asmara, but failed to find him at home. Four days later, he was arrested while visiting the port city of Massawa. Pastor Hagos is married with three children. His whereabouts are unknown.

  Pray for strength and boldness in the midst of the imprisonment of these and hundreds of other Christians in Eritrea.

  For more information on persecution in Eritrea, including a recent video report by The Voice of the Martyrs,click here.

• Prayer Urgently Needed

  Eritrean pastor shows how he was tortured by Eritrean authorities

  The Voice of the Martyrs has learned of disturbing developments facing the church in Eritrea that require your urgent prayers. While we are unable to go into details for security reasons, recent government actions demonstrate an alarming escalation of the persecution facing evangelicals in this restrictive East African nation. To view a recent video report on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, go to PersecutionTV (click here). For recent reports,click here. Please make this country a prayer priority this week.
• Revival Movement Investigated by Police

  Eritrean evangelicals have been imprisoned in shipping containers like these for weeks.

  On March 20, Eritrean police launched an investigation into the activities of a group of young adults involved in a renewal movement within the Eritrean Orthodox Church. According to Compass sources, the office in downtown Asmara where the group met on Sunday afternoons was sealed by police and the lay leader was arrested but then released the next day.

  The renewal movement, known as Medhane Alem, functions as a Sunday School for young adults. The Orthodox priest leading the movement is under investigation but not yet arrested. When the group gathered at a new location on March 21, two security officers video taped the meeting, claiming it was ordered by the president's office.

  Evangelical Christians in Eritrea have faced terrible persecution since the government outlawed all but four religions with "historical existence" in the country in May 2002. The April edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter features Eritrea. To subscribe to this free newsletter, click here.
  

  For more information on Eritrea, click here.

  Pray that the Christians in Eritrea will be able to withstand the pressure placed on them by the government as well as the Orthodox Church. Pray that they will be a bold witness for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray also that there will be freedom in Eritrea to worship the Lord in spirit and truth.

• Criminal Charges Against Evangelicals

  Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki

  For the first time since May 2002 when evangelical Christianity was declared illegal in Eritrea, criminal charges have been laid against those who are not a part of the officially recognized churches.

  In the past week, the Voice of the Martyrs has learned that authorities have begun raiding private homes, arresting families caught praying and reading the Bible together. According to Compass Direct, Kelete, a leader of the Rema Charismatic Church in the capital of Asmara, was having family devotions with his wife, six children, and father-in-law when police raided the home, arresting the entire family. The following evening, another leader named Habeteab was arrested with his wife and five children. Both families were transferred to the Adi Abeto prison outside Asmara. Habeteab has been charged with trying to start "a new religion."

  On February 23, ten believers were meeting in a home in the Aba Shwale district of Asmara when they were arrested. All but the elderly lady hosting the meeting remain in prison. However, she was fined 500 Nakfa ($68 CDN), more than half a month's salary.

  On February 25, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the arrest of fifty-one evangelicals (click here for more details). Forty-six of these remain in prison, likely facing torture. Earlier this month, Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki warned that efforts to "distract from the unity of the Eritrean people and distort the true meaning of religion" by these unlawful religious groups would not be tolerated. In May 2002, the Eritrean government outlawed all religious groups other than Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran and Muslim. At least three hundred and seventy-three Protestant Christians are presently imprisoned for their faith.

  Pray for strength and faithfulness for the many believers living in fear of arrest and torture. Pray for endurance for those facing torture for their faith. Pray that the Eritrean government will reverse its decision to outlaw most religious groups.

  The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter for April 2004 will feature a comprehensive report on the plights of Eritrean Christians. To sign up for the newsletter, click here.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in Eritrea,click here.

• Underground Church Taken into Custody

  Sawa Military Training Camp

  While worshipping in secret on February 16, police raided a service of the Hallelujah Church in the Eritrean capital of Asmara, taking Pastor Mengse Tweldemedhane and the fifty other evangelicals meeting together into custody. According to a February 23 report from Compass Direct, the thirty-four men and seventeen women were held at the Adi-Abyto military camp for two days. Four elderly women were then released, but Pastor Tweldemedhane was put into an isolated underground cell where he continues to face intense pressure to renounce his faith and return to the Eritrean Orthodox Church. The rest of the evangelicals were transferred to the Sawa Military Training Camp where they remain in custody. Apparently, local officials had decided that the pastor and twenty-three of his church members had not done their compulsory military training. At last report, forty-six of the Christians were being held in metal shipping containers. Five were very ill and being refused any medical care.

  There are now at least 347 Protestant Christians in jail for their faith in Eritrea; some for nearly two years. In May 2002, the Eritrean government banned the twelve independent Protestant denominations, closing all of their churches. Only the Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran and Muslim faiths are recognized by the state.

  Pray for physical and spiritual strength for those being tortured for their faith. Pray that they will be able to withstand the pressure to recant. Pray that international pressure will help in effecting the release of these prisoners of conscience. The feature article of the April edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter will focus on the persecution facing Christians in Eritrea. To receive your free subscription to Canada's only monthly publication dedicated to the Persecuted Church, click here.

  For more information on persecution of Christians in Eritrea, go to our country report.

• Neighbours Hired to Spy on Evangelicals

  Eritrean believer demonstrates how he was tortured by police

  Over the past two years, hundreds of evangelical Christians in Eritrea have faced prison and torture after all evangelical churches were ordered closed in May 2002. In a January 30 report from Compass Direct, it was revealed that neighbours of the outlawed evangelicals have been hired to spy on their activities, reporting any gatherings. Those who cooperate as spies have been granted exemption from military service and luxuries such as allotments of sugar and flour.

  At last report, at least 286 evangelicals are imprisoned for their faith, many facing the promise of release if they renounce their faith. Although freedom of religion for all is guaranteed in the Eritrean constitution, there are only four recognized religious organizations: Islam, Roman Catholic, Eritrean Orthodox and Evangelical Lutheran.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in Eritrea, go to https://www.vomcanada.com/eritrea.htm.