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Eritrea

• Gospel Singer Helen Berhane Granted Asylum in Denmark

  Gospel singer Helen Berhane (32), who was released from prison in November 2006 after being detained in Eritrea without charge for two years, has been granted asylum in Denmark. She and her daughter arrived in the country safely on October 19. For the past eleven months, Berhane had been maintaining a low profile in Khartoum, Sudan, where she and her sister fled in December 2006. Berhane's health remains extremely poor due to the physical suffering she endured during her detention. She is currently unable to walk without assistance. During her detention she was held for extensive periods in shipping containers and tortured several times by authorities in an effort to force her to recant her faith.

  Praise God with us that this faithful servant of Christ has found refuge in a safe location! Pray that He will continue to protect and strengthen Helen, providing for her every need (Phil. 4:19). Ask God to give her wisdom and discernment so that she will continue His work (James 1:5). Pray for God's love and grace to abound in our Eritrean brothers and sisters who are suffering for Christ’s sake in prison.

  For more information on the severe persecution of Christians in Eritrea, go to theEritrea Country Report.

• Senior Pastor Arrested

  Sawa Military Camp

  Pastor Oqbamichael Tekle-Haimanot, a well-known and senior leader of the Kale-Hiwot Church in Eritrea, was arrested and imprisoned on October 1, according to VOMC sources. This is the second imprisonment for Pastor Oqbamichael in the last two years. In January 2005, he was arrested at a Christian wedding in the western town of Barentu. He was released after nearly ten months of imprisonment that included solitary confinement and hard labour in the Sawa Military Camp. The arrest of Pastor Oqbamichael follows the recent imprisonment of Evangelist Mussie Ezaz, who is also a minister in the Kale-Hiwot Church.

  Pray for the Lord's grace to sustain and strengthen Pastor Oqbamichael as he again endures prison time for the Name of the Lord (Ephesians 6:19, 20). Pray that his family and congregation will focus their eyes on Jesus to find strength and comfort in Him (Hebrews 12:1-3). Pray for Eritrean Christians as they continue to suffer severe persecution.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, go to theEritrea Country Report.

• Evangelist Arrested in Eritrea

  VOMC sources report that Mussie Ezaz, an evangelist in the Kale Hiwot Church of Eritrea, was arrested from his home in the capital city of Asmara and imprisoned last week. Evangelist Mussie has been serving the Lord full-time for more than a decade. He is married with three children.

  Pray for the Lord's grace to abound in Evangelist Mussie while he suffers for the sake of Christ. Pray that God will meet the needs of his wife and children according to His glorious riches in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19). Pray that Eritrean Christians will continue to stand firm in their faith by the enabling grace of our God. Ask God to bring forth more Christian church leaders and servants of the Gospel to advance the cause of Christ (Luke 21:12-15).

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, go to theEritrea Country Report.

• Prisoner Tortured to Death in Eritrea

  An imprisoned Christian woman, Nigsti Haile (33), was tortured to death by Eritrean authorities in the Wi’a Military Training center in Massawa on September 5 for refusing to sign a letter recanting her faith, according to a September 7 report from Open Doors USA. Haile, an active member of the Rhema church, was one of ten Christian women arrested at a church gathering in Keren eighteen months ago and who have been under severe pressure to deny Christ.

  Ask God to comfort those who mourn for Nigsti. Pray that God will embolden Eritrean Christians to follow in her example of faithfulness at all cost (1 Corinthians 4:9-14, 16). Pray for the safety of the 2000 Christian believers still being detained in Eritrea without legal counsel or trial.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, go to theEritrea Country Report.

• Persecution of Christians Continues in Eritrea

  Asmara, Eritrea

  There were several recent incidents of persecution of Christians in Eritrea, according to an August 23 report from Compass Direct.

  Reverend Leule Gebreab (35), who pastors the Apostolic Church in Asmara, has been missing since he failed to return home to his wife, eight-year-old son and infant daughter on August 12. His whereabouts are unknown despite inquiries to the local authorities.

  On August 16, Eritrean authorities issued an ultimatum to Catholic church leaders ordering that all of the church's schools, clinics, orphanages and women's vocational training centres be turned over to the government's Ministry of Social Welfare and Labour. Four Catholic bishops reportedly sent a letter of protest to the government the following day. At last report, they had not received a response. The Faith of Christ Church received similar orders to relinquish control and possession of all its social aid institutions. The orders were allegedly based on a 1995 government decree requiring non-governmental welfare initiatives to obtain specific permission from authorities.

  On August 19, ten members of the Full Gospel Church who had gathered in a home were arrested by the police in the suburb of Kahawata, Asmara. The four women and six men were accused of worshipping together and detained at the local police station.

  Pray that Pastor Gebreab will return home safely. Pray that Christians will have boldness of faith in the face of government opposition. Pray that those detained will be released and that, during their detention, they will share the light of Christ with others.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, go to theEritrea Country Report. 

• Eritrean Pastor Released

  The Voice of the Martyrs has learned of the release from prison of Pastor Michael Abraha and most of those who were imprisoned with him at the end of May in the town of Dekemhare. Pastor Abraha is a well-known Bible teacher and one of the key leaders of the Kale-Hiwot Church in Eritrea. At least twenty Christians, including several young children, were arrested at the time. While VOMC welcomes the release of Pastor Abraha and many of those who were detained, we remain concerned over those who remain in prison as well as those who were reportedly detained when they came to visit these prisoners. According to Release Eritrea, they have been taken to the prisons at the Wea military training camp which is notorious for its harsh conditions.

  Praise God for the release of Pastor Abraha and the other prisoners. Pray for those who are detained at Wea. Pray that they may experience God's grace abundantly to faithfully witness for Him in word and deed.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, go to theEritrea Country Report.

• Twenty Christians Arrested by Security Forces

  Pastor Michael Abraha

  At least twenty Christians, including several young children, were arrested and detained when security forces raided a home in the town of Dekemhare, 40 km south of the Eritrean capital of Asmara, on May 27. According to a June 6 report from Release Eritrea, the authorities went to the home expecting to apprehend a group of Christians gathered for prayer. When they did not find such a meeting taking place, they arrested the families living in the home and several other Christians in the neighbourhood, including a well-known Bible teacher and church leader, Pastor Michael Abraha of the Kale-Hiwot Baptist Church. They also confiscated videos of a wedding conducted by Pastor Abraha. There is considerable concern for the Pastor's health as he suffers from diabetes.

  Pray for the Lord's grace to abound in Pastor Michael while he suffers for the Name of Christ. Pray also that he will receive appropriate medication for his diabetes. Pray that the members of Pastor Michael's congregation will not give in to fear and despair but be enabled by God to stand firm in their faith. Ask the Lord to continue to bring forth more Christian church leaders in Eritrea to take the place of those who are imprisoned (Luke 21:13-15).

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

• Pastor Zekarias Abraham Released

  Pastor Zekarias Abraham, who was arrested during a raid on the Mehrete Yesus Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Asmara last month (click here for more details), has been released from prison, according to VOMC sources. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the eighty Christians arrested and imprisoned along with Pastor Abraham may also have been released.

• Eighty Church Members Arrested During Police Raid

  Photo fromCompass Direct

  Eighty members, including the church's pastor, Zekarias Abraham, of the Mehrete Yesus Evangelical Presbyterian Church in the city of Asmara were arrested by security forces following a worship service in their sanctuary on April 29. Several teachers from India who were working in Eritrea and an American couple were also arrested. The Americans, however, were released on May 3 and allowed to return to their Asmara home.

  Following the closure of all the evangelical and charismatic churches in the nation on May 17, 2002, the Mehrete Yesus Evangelical Presbyterian Church was one of the few Eritrean churches allowed to function since it fulfilled the registration formalities demanded by the government. In addition to his duties as a pastor of the church, Pastor Zekarias Abraham has also served as the head of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance since his predecessor, Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, was arrested in May 2004.

  Pray for the release of these prisoners and the approximately 2000 other Christians presently in detention in Eritrea. Pray that they will encouraged by the examples of other men and women who have remained faithful in the face of terrible opposition (Hebrews 12:1-3). Pray that the government of Eritrea will stop its campaign against Christians and recognize the importance of religious freedom.

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

• Imprisoned Christian Dies, Ten More Arrested

  On February 15, Eritrean Christian, Magos Solomon Semere, died from physical torture and pneumonia in the Adi-Nefase Militant Confinement facility just outside Assab, according to a February 22 report from Compass Direct. VOMC was able to confirm his mistreatment that led to his death at the hands of the military authorities.

  Semere, a member of the Rema Church, was first jailed in the fall of 2001 after he was arrested for evangelizing and starting worship meetings with six other Christians. He was released after eighteen months but was re-arrested in July 2002. When Semere fell seriously ill in prison, he was pressured to sign a statement renouncing his faith in order to receive medical treatment but he refused to do so. One of Semere's former fellow prisoners said, "Magos was determined to obey the Lord rather than men."

  On February 18, in an unrelated incident, ten Eritrean Christians were taken into custody by security police in Asmara. The Christians had been paying a social visit to a private home to congratulate a newly married couple. Seven of those arrested were members of the Eritrean Orthodox Church and three were members of the Full Gospel Church. Six of them were women.

  Pray that those who mourn for Magos will find comfort in the fact that those who die in Christ will be raised with Him (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). Ask God to give comfort and strength to the imprisoned believers. Pray that all Eritrean Christians will echo Peter's sentiment and determine to obey God regardless of what man says (Acts 5:29).

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea,click here. Video reports on persecution in Eritrea are also available on VOMC's multimedia website, https://www.vomcanada.com/.