More Christians Arrested; Imprisoned Pastors may Face Treason Charges
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Police raided a private home and jailed 25 Christians who had gathered in Adi Kuala on Eritrea's Independence Day on May 24 to pray for their nation, according to a May 27 report from Compass Direct. Twenty men and five women meeting in a Christian's home were taken into custody. All are members of the local Medhane-Alem group, a renewal movement within the Eritrean Orthodox Church. They are now being held in a police station in the town which is about 90 km southwest of the capital city of Asmara.
Two separate groups of Christian prisoners held in detention for the past three months have been reportedly released recently. Ten members of the Church of the Living God, a breakaway group from the Eritrean Orthodox Church, were set free after three months' detention in the Mendefera police station. Another 15 members of the Kale-Hiwot Church who had been held in the Keren police station were also released. All the discharged prisoners were forced to pay 80,000 nakfa ($5,330) per person as bail. When they were set free, authorities strictly warned them against involvement in any Christian activities in the future. Some were forced to surrender property deeds as bond, in order to secure the steep bail demands.
Haile Naizghi, Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel and Tesfatsion Hagos
The Compass report also indicated that the Eritrean government plans to press formal charges of treason against several pastors jailed for the past four years. Relatives and church members of the long-jailed pastors are experiencing "great anxiety" over these unconfirmed reports. Official conviction for treason carries the death penalty in Eritrea. Three of the most prominent pastors -- Full Gospel Church leaders Haile Naizghi and Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, together with Tesfatsion Hagos of the Rema Evangelical Church -- have been imprisoned incommunicado for the past four years.
Pray for the release of those in prison for the sake of Christ. Ask God to sustain by His grace the pastors and their loved ones as they face continued suffering (1 Peter 5:12).
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, go to theEritrea Country Report.
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.
Photos: Christian Solidarity Worldwide / Human Rights Concern Eritrea / Release Eritrea
On May 23rd, 2004, Eritrean authorities arrested two pastors from the Full Gospel Church in Eritrea: Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel and Pastor Haile Nayzgi. The arrests were made in response to a government ban instituted in 2002 against all but four of the country's religious communities. Throughout 2004, arrests continued against pastors of the banned organization, which consisted of between 120 and 150 home church congregations at the time. Pastor Meron Gebreselasie was arrested in June 2004. Then in November of that year, Dr. Futsum Gebrenegus, Dr. Tekleab Mengisteab and Rev. Gebremedhin Gebregiorgis were also detained.
Reverend Ghirmay Araya was one of the founders of the Full Gospel Church in Eritrea. Under the country's oppressive regime, the denomination was banned in 2002 and its senior leaders were imprisoned in 2004. Over the decades since, thousands of other Eritreans have been imprisoned for their faith, often enduring torture and inhumane treatment.
On January 20th, 30 Christian adults, plus an unknown number of children, were arrested in Eritrea when police raided a party that was held in celebration of an infant's first birthday. The incident took place in the capital city of Asmara at the home of a Christian couple who was hosting a gathering of family and friends to celebrate the birthday of their firstborn child.
In April 2023, more than 100 talented Christian young people, who are members of a musical group known as the Mahalians, were arrested after recording songs of praise which they had intended to share on YouTube. The government deemed their recording session to be an illegal church gathering. For more details, go to this page.
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