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Eritrea
October 26, 2007 Urgent Action - Helen Berhane
Dear Friends,
This weekend, Eritrean gospel singer Helen Berhane and her daughter Eva arrived safely in Denmark. Helen has spent eleven months in Sudan applying for asylum after she managed to escape Eritrea one month following her release from prison in November 2006. She is finally free to live without fear of re-arrest or further persecution and with the prospect of rehabilitation.
32-year-old Helen Berhane is one of the most high-profile former prisoners from Eritrea, and her case was widely publicized around the world. She was a member of the unauthorized Rhema Pentecostal Church but was incarcerated in May 2004 after releasing an album of gospel music which became popular among young Eritrean Christians. Helen is reported to have been held for extensive periods of time in shipping containers and in underground cells at the Mai-Serwa military camp. She repeatedly refused to sign a paper recanting her faith and promising not to participate in church-related activities.
Thousands of Eritreans are fleeing their country each month. The Eritrean government has allegedly responded to this by publicly executing anyone found to be assisting in these escapes, including the man who facilitated Eva’s escape. Sources report that after execution the man’s body was placed in a sack and unceremoniously deposited in front of his parent’s home.
We would like to thank you for praying and campaigning for Helen throughout her ordeal, and request that you continue to pray for her as she and her daughter adjust to their new life. Severe physical punishment has left Helen unable to walk without assistance and she will need much medical attention in the coming weeks and months. Please pray that she would have access to all the necessary medical care. She is also carrying the emotional, mental and spiritual scars of terrible hardship and pain – pray that the future would bring all the necessary components of complete healing.
Helen’s 13-year-old daughter Eva is also in need of prayer. Although she is very well physically, the experiences of the last few years and the relocation to an entirely new country will not be easy for her. Pray that God would faithfully uphold her and sustain her through these trials.
Thank you for your support to Helen and the thousands of Eritrean Christians like her.
CSW Advocacy Team
-----------------------------------------
April 26, 2007 Urgent Action - Eritrean Orthodox Patriarch Replaced
Dear Friends,
In January 2006 we reported that Abune Antonios, the ordained head of the Eritrean Orthodox Church (EOC), had been removed from office following government machinations, and was placed under house arrest. Patriarch Antonios had made the mistake of challenging the Eritrean government, both on spiritual matters as well as on the government’s intrusion on church affairs. As a result, he joined the approximately 2,000 other Christians who are indefinitely detained without trial or charge in Eritrea.
Patriarch Antonios, a severe diabetic, remains under a stringent regime of house arrest, with the government controlling every aspect of his household, including the number and type of visitors and food that he is allowed to receive. Meanwhile the Eritrean government has increased its tight grip on the EOC this week by effectively nominating a patriarch that is more to its liking. According to a report on the Eritrean website Asmarino.com from Orthodox sources based in Asmara, Bishop Dioscoros was selected as Patriarch in the presence of government officials and other “reluctant” bishops who “took no part in the decision.” The government has since declared in a press release that Bishop Dioscoros was elected "unanimously" on 19 April, and that his consecration is set to take place on May 27 and 28.
The appointment of Bishop Dioscoros was also overseen by Mr. Yoftahe Dimetros, the principal actor in the removal of Patriarch Antonios from his office in 2006. Mr Dimetros was a government-appointed lay-person who assumed the role of General Secretary of the Holy Synod in violation of the church’s constitution. In what is further evidence of the Eritrean government’s manipulation of one the few remaining legal churches in the country, Mr. Dimetros assumed the highest administrative position in the church despite lacking a clerical background, a clear contravention of EOC canonical law.
Patriarch Antonios and other imprisoned Christians in Eritrea are in desperate need of our prayers at this time, and for this reason Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and Release Eritrea have organised a Prayer Concert, which will be taking place on Saturday 26 May from 2-6pm at the Salvation Army's Regent Hall, 275 Oxford Street, W11 1LD. Please consider joining us as we intercede for the nation. However, in the meantime, please pray:
That Patriarch Antonios and the rest of the EOC would not be discouraged by recent events, but would persevere in their faith and prayer. Pray that their faith would soon be rewarded with the Patriarch’s freedom and return to full office.
That the key members of international community, and church leaders in particular, would begin to express their concerns at the treatment meted out to Patriarch Antonios in a more forthright manner.
That justice and freedom would come for the thousands of men and women who are unjustly detained in Eritrean prisons, often in the most ghastly conditions. Pray also that instead of destroying their faith, such experiences would serve to deepen it.
Protest!
At 3pm on Thursday 31 May, CSW, Release Eritrea and Christian Concern for Freedom of Conscience (CCFC) will be holding a prayer and praise rally outside the Eritrean Embassy in London to protest at the continuing detention and mistreatment of Christians and other prisoners of conscience in Eritrea. Please consider joining us in a show of support for the persecuted Christians of Eritrea on what is for some, the fifth anniversary of their captivity.
Many thanks for your support on behalf of our Eritrean brothers and sisters,
CSW Advocacy Team
---------------------------------------
October 16, 2006 Eritrean gospel singer Helen Berhane hospitalized in Asmara
CSW
has been informed that Helen Berhane, the Eritrean gospel singer jailed since
May 2004, was recently transferred to a hospital in Asmara in a serious
condition.
According to reports, Ms. Berhane, who showed signs of having suffered physical
mistreatment, was seen in the hospital on a wheelchair. She has not been allowed
to receive visitors.
31-year-old Helen Berhane is a member of the Rhema Pentecostal Church. She was
incarcerated soon after releasing an album of gospel music popular among young
Eritrean Christians. Helen is reported to have been held for extensive periods
of time in shipping containers and underground cells at the Mai-Serwa military
camp. She has repeatedly refused to sign a paper recanting her faith and
promising not to participate in church-related activities.
Ms. Berhane’s hospitalization comes at a time of increasing intimidation in
Eritrea. Last week, the authorities in the Adi Segdo suburb of Asmara detained
forty members of the Kale Hiwot Church, ten of whom were children. When
relatives attempted to visit them carrying food and blankets, they too were
arrested. The government recently seized all assets of the Kale Hiwot Church,
closing an orphanage and schools for disadvantaged children.
CSW-UK Advocacy Director Alexa Papadouris said: “We are deeply disturbed by
news of Helen Berhane’s condition. She has been incarcerated without charge or
trial for the last two years and appears to have suffered the most appalling
mistreatment simply because of her faith, and despite the provisions for freedom
of worship contained within the Eritrean Constitution. We urge the Eritrean
Government not only to ensure the physical safety of Helen Berhane and other
prisoners in her position, but also to guarantee that she receives the treatment
necessary to ensure her full and swift recovery.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. On 22 May 2002, the Eritrean government ordered the closure of all churches
not belonging to the Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Lutheran denominations, and an
end to all other religious practices except Islam. The move came in the wake of
increasing harassment of evangelical and Pentecostal denominations in
particular, which the government equated to Islamists and vilified as
non-indigenous, unpatriotic agents of foreign interests, who were seeking to
undermine public morality and destabilize the country.
2. Some 2000 Christians are currently detained, for the most part without
charge, in Eritrea. Amongst them is the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, Abune
Antonius, who has been illegally removed from office and placed under house
arrest for objecting to government interference in church affairs.
----------------------------
August 4, 2006 Day of Prayer for Eritrea
Erishalom, a website run by a coalition of Eritrean Christians both in Eritrea and abroad, has asked CSW to publicize a Day of Prayer for Eritrea on Saturday August 5. Prayers will focus on imprisoned Christians, their families and the growing number of Eritrean refugees who are fleeing the country to uncertain and often difficult futures elsewhere.
Almost 2000 Christians are currently detained indefinitely and without charge or trial in unhygienic and overcrowded conditions. Some are held in poorly ventilated underground cells and metal shipping containers. Torture is routinely practiced in detention centers, and CSW has received consistent reports from former detainees of inmates being rendered disabled as a result of mistreatment. There is even emerging evidence that extrajudicial executions have occurred in these centers.
Thousands of Eritreans are risking their lives crossing deserts and seas in search of refuge from the overwhelming repression. An unknown number have died. Most recently at least 15 Eritreans died when their small boat encountered a storm in the Mediterranean Sea as they attempted to escape to Italy. Sadly, even Eritrean refugees who make it to neighboring African countries and beyond do not always find a place of safety.
Some 10,000 Eritreans are currently eking out wretched existences just inside the Ethiopian border, sandwiched between the opposing armies of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Reports from Sudan allege that at least four asylum seekers were kidnapped during 2005 and possibly returned to Eritrea, including the former third secretary of the Eritrean Embassy.
In Kenya refugees are not allowed to work by law, yet they regularly face demands for bribes from police and immigration officials who threaten them with deportation if they do not comply. Refugees also face severe harassment from the Eritrean Embassy.
In South Africa the Eritrean Embassy arbitrarily cancels passports of suspected dissidents and subsequently reports this cancellation to the South African immigration authorities in order to ensure their deportation.
Many Eritrean refugees are eventually allowed to remain in EU countries, in some instances after several stressful appeals and periods in detention centers. However, some are not granted asylum status and thus cannot access essential services.
Eritrea desperately needs our prayers. If you can support this day of prayer, please may I encourage you to use the following prayer guide provided by Erishalom.
Please pray:
Finally, CSW would like to add a prayer for Erishalom itself:
---------------------------
July 19, 2006 Joint petition containing more than 100,000 signatures highlights plight of jailed Christians in Eritrea
110,000 people have signed a petition calling on
the Eritrean authorities to free Christians imprisoned for their faith.
Around 1800 Christians have been jailed without trial in Eritrea as a result of
their religious affiliations. Many face severe mistreatment for refusing to sign
statements denouncing their faith. Reports indicate that some Christians have
been sentenced to hard labor or held in underground cells in total darkness for
days. Others have been held in solitary confinement in metal shipping
containers.
In May 2002 the Government ordered the immediate closure of all churches other
than those affiliated with the Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran
denominations, rendering all other Christian activity illegal. Those who
continue practicing their faith, even in the privacy of their own homes, face
persecution and imprisonment. The permitted churches are also subject to state
interference, with the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church being illegally removed
from post and placed under house arrest earlier this year.
Eritrean Christians who fled to neighboring Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan have
described being beaten and tortured. Some refugees were forced to leave their
families behind and fear reprisals will be taken out against them. Many who fled
to the United Kingdom are reluctant to speak openly of the lack of freedom in
Eritrea for the same reason.
Despite increasing reports of persecution and imprisonment since 2002, the
Eritrean government has claimed ‘no groups or persons are persecuted in
Eritrea for their beliefs or religion’.
The petition was handed in at the Eritrean Embassy in London yesterday by
representatives from Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Release International
and Open Doors.
CSW-UK’s National Director, Stuart Windsor, says: “The number of signatories
on this petition highlights the strength of feeling in the UK that these abuses
of religious liberty and human rights in Eritrea must stop. We are urging the
Eritrean Ambassador to take our message back to his government and put an end to
the imprisonment and suffering of so many.”
-----------------
June 2, 2006 CSW
month of campaigning for Eritrea culminates in launch of gospel album
CSW and Release Eritrea will be launching an album by incarcerated Eritrean
gospel singer Helen Berhane next week as part of the campaign to highlight
religious persecution in Eritrea which saw around 100 people gather outside
the Eritrean Embassy in London on Wednesday 31 May and a day of prayer on 21
May.
31-year-old Helen Berhane is a member of Eritrea's Rhema Church, and was
incarcerated in May 2004. She is reported to have been held for some time in a
shipping container at the Mai-Serwa military camp, and to have refused to sign
a paper recanting her faith and promising not to participate in Protestant
activities.
Ms. Berhane is one of over 1700 Christians in Eritrea who have been detained
without charge or trial on account of their religious affiliations. Members of
permitted churches are not immune to persecution in Eritrea. The month of
campaigning follows the illegal removal of His Holiness Abune Antonios,
Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, from office in January 2006. He is currently
under a stringent regime of house arrest.
Around 100 Christian from across the UK and Ireland joined the Protest for
religious freedom outside Eritrean Embassy organized by Christian Solidarity
Worldwide (CSW), Release Eritrea and Christian Concern for Freedom of
Conscience (CCFC) to mark the anniversary of the Eritrean Government's
decision to ban all churches not belonging to the Orthodox, Roman Catholic or
Lutheran denominations, and an end to all other religious practices except
Islam.
Stuart Windsor, National Director of CSW, said: "We are delighted that so
many Christians have joined our campaigns for Eritrea. The faith of those
persecuted in Eritrea is an inspiration to us all. The overall human rights
situation in Eritrea has deteriorated markedly and the international community
must act before the situation becomes any worse."
NOTES TO EDITORS
On 22 May 2002 the Eritrean government ordered the closure of all churches not
belonging to the Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Lutheran denominations, and an
end to all other religious practices except Islam.
Over 1700 Christians are currently detained indefinitely and mostly without
charge in Eritrea. Several have suffered mistreatment as the authorities have
sought to force them to renounce their manner of worship. In at least one
confirmed case a Christian leader is known to have died as a result of
mistreatment in detention. Unconfirmed reports are emerging indicating that
some detainees, including Christians, may have been killed extra-judicially.
---------------------------
January 20, 2006 Eritrean Orthodox Patriarch put under house arrest by increasingly repressive regime
The Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church has been forced out of office and officially placed under house arrest, according to reports received by the Eritrean website, Asmarino.com.
Abune Antonios had earlier been removed from effective control of the Patriarchate and confined to ceremonial duties. His non-appearance at the recent Epiphany celebrations adds weight to reports of his total removal from office.
Abune Antonios is said to have been informed of his dismissal last week following secret meetings of the church’s administrative body, the Holy Synod. The meetings were convened by Yoftahe Dimetros, a government-appointed lay person who assumed administrative control of the Patriarchate in contravention of the church’s constitution, which reserves membership of the Holy Synod to ordained Bishops and the chairmanship of the Synod to the Patriarch.
Even more controversially, Mr. Dimetros is also reported to have convened a second meeting on January 20th to choose a new Patriarch, an act that is only undertaken by the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church. News Agency Compass Direct reports that Mr. Dimetros also ordered the confiscation of the 78-year-old Patriarch’s car and the dismissal of his chauffeur.
The Patriarch is reported to have robustly challenged the legality of his dismissal. He has pointed out that a living Patriarch can only be removed from office if he is seriously ill, commits grievous sin or if he adheres to heresy. Moreover, such a removal can only be undertaken by the appropriately mandated church authorities. The Patriarch has also said those who had signed his arbitrary dismissal order were excommunicated or suspended.
Since
his ordination in April 2004, Patriarch Antonios is said to have been
increasingly critical of the government's continual interventions into church
matters.
In January 2005, and for the first time ever, the traditional Orthodox Annual
Christmas message was not aired on national media after the Patriarch allegedly
objected to the detention in November 2004 of three Orthodox priests from the
Medhane Alem Church, and accused the government of interfering in church
affairs. The Patriarch also opposed requests to close down the church, which is
linked to the Orthodox renewal movement and attracts thousands of young people.
His close advisor Marigetta Yetbareke was later forced to resign and was
subsequently taken into detention.
Also in 2005, Asmarino.com
reported that prior to his removal from his administrative duties, the Patriarch
had increasingly begun to challenge the regime on spiritual grounds, and had
objected to government intrusion through Mr. Dimetros in the administration of
the Patriarchate. Mr. Dimetros is said to have repeatedly clashed with the
Patriarch as he attempted to coerce the Orthodox Church to adopt government
inspired policies. He is also reported to have accompanied an Eritrean Bishop to
Egypt to the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church in July in an attempt to
persuade the Papacy to replace Patriarch Antonios with this Bishop.
Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of CSW-auk, said: “It is deplorable that Abune Antonios has been illegally forced out of office by a government agent who has usurped the powers of the patriarch in contravention of canon law. He has been treated appallingly simply for opposing state interference in church affairs. We utterly condemn this latest addition to the sad litany of religious repression in Eritrea. Again, the continued harassment of the legitimate prelate of a government-sanctioned church illustrates in reality the government is attempting to curtail every expression of Christianity in Eritrea.”
----------------------------------------
February
23 2005 More
than 100 Christian children detained by government forces
More
than 100 children aged between two and 18 were rounded up by a group of
policemen as they were in their Christian classes.
The
131 children were attending their classes at an Eritrean Orthodox church in the
capital
An
eye-witness report at the scene, which was later verified by CSW, said the
police put them in the truck and took them to the nearby Police Station Number 1
where they registered the children’s names and addresses.
After
the children were put in a hall at the police station, they started to sing in a
loud voice: "I am not afraid of persecution, hardships and even death.
Nobody can separate me from the Love of Jesus Christ. He died on the cross and
he gave me new life."
The
policemen ordered the children to stop singing, saying: "You must shut-up,
this is a police station", but the children continued to sing despite their
threats.
The
policemen then turned on a television and put the volume up high. The children
protested and the policemen started to beat them. The children were kept at the
police station from 10am to 1.30pm.
At
this point, the children aged two to 14 were released and told to come back on
Monday with their parents. The remaining group of 30 children are still detained
and were transferred to Police Stations Number 7 and Number 4.
The
children were rounded up at the Medhanie-Alem Orthodox Church, in the heart of
According
to reliable reports, the Task Force has been set up by the Eritrean government
dedicated to ridding the country of Pentecostal and Evangelical Christians by
the end of 2005.
According
to Compass Direct news agency, another 31 Eritrean Christians have been jailed
over the past ten days, making a total of 187 arrests for ‘illegal’
Christian activities since the beginning of the year. Some 400 people are in
prison in
NOTES
TO EDITORS:
The
Eritrean government closed down the country’s independent Protestant churches
in May 2002, declaring their places of worship illegal and forbidding home
gatherings. The banned groups include indigenous Pentecostal and charismatic
congregations, as well as Adventist, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God and
Methodist-linked churches. Baha’is and Jehovah’s Witnesses are also
targeted.
The
country’s four recognized “official” religions are Orthodox Christian,
Catholic, Lutheran and Islam. Those caught praying, studying the Bible or
worshipping outside the umbrella of the three allowed Christian groups, continue
to be jailed and tortured, and some have been incarcerated in metal shipping
containers or underground cells.
--------------------------------
February
18 2005 Eritrean
task force aims to purge country of Christians
In
the wake of the arrest of 31 more Christians in
According
to Compass Direct news agency, another 31 Eritrean Christians have been jailed
over the past ten days, making a total of 187 arrests for ‘illegal’
Christian activities since the beginning of the year.
In
2002 the Eritrean government ordered the closure of all churches that were not
affiliated with the Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran denominations.
According to reliable reports, the regime has now formed a Task Force to
eradicate Pentecostal and Evangelical Christians from
CSW
has also received reports which indicate that people from the capital Asmara
were told to inform the police and their local administration offices about any
Christians and houses where ‘menfesawyan’ (spiritual people) come together
so they could be arrested. Hotels and halls are now banned from renting their
premises to these Christians and many have had their property confiscated and
been heavily fined. Moreover, in certain areas, landlords are forbidden from
letting their properties to Christians from ‘forbidden ‘denominations.
14
members of the
The
day before, Professor Senere Zaid of the Agriculture Faculty at
After
a foiled police raid on one of their meeting places, Professor Zaid hid to avoid
being arrested and had not been present at the targeted gathering, which had
broken up before the police arrived.
When
Professor Zaid decided to turn himself in to police commanders on February 3, he
was promptly jailed at an
A
reliable witness said: “Senere’s only “crime” is his determination to
worship Jesus Christ according to his conscience...We have a nation without a
responsible regime and university officials and teachers who keep silent while
their colleagues suffer.”
He
added: “Not only traditional religious leaders, intellectuals and businessmen
inside
On
February 12, 15 Christian women that had gathered in a private home for prayer
were arrested and jailed at the police station in
However,
“all the sisters exposed to imprisonment and insult by the authorities in
Keren were gathered merely for the purpose of prayer, not any political
purpose,” one of their colleagues confirmed.
Meanwhile,
Compass has documented the arrest of a medical doctor during the last week of
January. Dr Segid was arrested in Keren during the last week of January. The
physician has now been transferred to military confinement at the Mai-Serwa
military camp.
There
are believed to have been dozens more arrested and imprisoned during their
national service in the Eritrean army since the new year. Several hundred more
evangelical Protestant believers, many of them soldiers caught worshipping
during their active military service, also remain imprisoned for refusing to
recant their faith.
One
person who was arrested at the start of the year, five kilometres outside
Eritrean
church leader Dr Berhane Asmelash, who now lives in exile in the
“We
call on the international community to intervene in a situation which I find
difficult to put into words.”
NOTES
TO EDITORS:
Three
well-known Protestant pastors have been held under arrest since May 2004 by the
Eritrean government, which refuses to confirm their location or allow anyone to
visit them.
The
Eritrean government closed down the country’s independent Protestant churches
in May 2002, declaring their places of worship illegal and forbidding home
gatherings. The banned groups include indigenous Pentecostal and charismatic
congregations, as well as Adventist, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God and
Methodist-linked churches. Baha’i and Jehovah’s Witness adherents are also
targeted severely.
Individuals
and groups caught praying, studying the Bible or worshipping outside the
umbrella of the country’s four recognized “official” religions (Orthodox
Christian, Catholic, Lutheran or Islam) continue to be jailed and tortured,
often incarcerated in metal shipping containers or underground cells. However,
the recent arrests of two orthodox priests associated with the ‘renewal’
movement and 25 Christians from a Roman Catholic background, serve to illustrate
that even members of sanctioned churches can also face persecution.
------------------------------
January 26, 2005 Fresh
arrests in
May we ask
you not to use the names of detained individuals below in the letters you write.
This is to protect them and those close to them in
Dear Friends,
CSW has received alarming reports of the arrest of over 150 Eritrean Christians, including 25 Roman Catholics since the New Year. The jailing of 25 members of the Catholic church is particularly worrying, as the Catholic community have been granted “official” recognition by the government. There have also been signs of increasing tensions between the authorities and the Orthodox Church, to which the majority of Eritrean Christians belong. These incidents suggest that the Eritrean authorities are extending religious persecution to include all Christian denominations.
We would be very grateful if you would consider writing to your representatives in Congress, highlighting some of the incidents below, particularly emphasizing the fact that the authorities now seem to be targeting “officially recognized” denominations. Please ask your political representatives to raise this issue with the Eritrean Ambassador to the US .
The
situation in
On the night of 31
December, police officials arrested and
detained sixty members
of the
Having been
initially taken to Police Station No.5, the sixty were then transferred to the
notorious Mai-Serwa military camp, which is situated just north of
Amnesty International have stated in a report issued on November 26 that conditions at Mai-Serwa “are harsh and infectious diseases such as diarrhea are common.” They also contend that prisoners held at Mai-Serwa are never charged with any crime or brought to trial. The well-known Christian singer Helen Berhane has been jailed alone in a metal shipping container at Mai-Serwa for refusing to deny her evangelical faith and cease participating in local Protestant activities.
CSW sources and News Agency, Compass Direct, have since confirmed that 26 of the 60 detainees have been released, having signed a pledge not to participate in meetings again. Pastor Habteab Oqbamichel and 33 other Rema believers remain in custody at Mai-Serwa.
This is not
the first time that the
25 Catholics Arrested
On January 9,
25 members of the Roman Catholic Church in
Wedding Ceremony in Barentu
Also on January
9, the security police swooped down on a wedding ceremony being held in Barentu,
a town in western
Prayer Meeting in
January 9 also
saw the police arrest four members of the
Further
arrests of evangelicals
CSW has
received further news of the arrest of an evangelical church leader and two
others on 21 January. The three members of the
These recent developments are the latest examples the Eritrean government’s crackdown on evangelical Christians which dates back to May 2002. This date marks the government’s decision to outlaw all denominations apart from the Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Evangelical Lutherans and Muslims. Those banned churches include Pentecostal and charismatic congregations, Adventist, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God and Methodist linked churches. It is estimated that upwards of four hundred evangelicals are currently under arrest for their faith, including three prominent pastors jailed since last May. There are also scores of young soldiers doing compulsory military service who have been jailed for praying, reading the Bible or worshipping in groups.
The arrests of the 25 Roman Catholics mark a significant deviation in the pattern of arrests since May 2002, in that an officially recognized denomination has now been directly targeted.
There are also signs that relations between the authorities and the Orthodox Church, to which the vast majority of Eritrean Christians belong, are becoming increasingly strained. Patriarch Abune Antonios has reportedly accused government authorities of “interfering” in the religious affairs of his church. He was also vocal in denouncing the arrest of senior member of Medani Alem Fellowship, a religious institution within the Coptic Orthodox Church. These tensions, perhaps, explain why the Patriarch’s annual Christmas message was not aired on any national media.
These
incidents suggest that the Eritrean government is extending religious
persecution to include all forms of Christian activity.
Additional Sources: Compass Direct
-------------------------
December 13, 2004 Urgent action for Eritrea 12-13-04
Dear Friends,
As
many of you are aware, CSW has for some time been deeply concerned by the
increasing restrictions on religious freedom in
His Excellency Mr. Girma
Asmerom
Embassy of Eritrea
1708 New Hampshire
Ave, NW
Washington DC 20009
Phone: (202) 319-1991
Fax: (202) 319-1304
E-mail:
veronica@
embassyeritrea.org
---------------------------
November
29, 2004 Three
orthodox priests arrested in ongoing religious persecution
CSW
has recently received reports that three Orthodox priests have been detained
since the third week of November.
Eritrean security forces have raided dozens of homes and have arrested hundreds
of Christians, including young children, simply for having a Bible or attending
a Christian meeting. There are reported to be an estimated 400 Christians in
prison, many having served more than two years.
The
most recent on November 4 ended in tragedy. The government is reported to have
indiscriminately rounded up thousands of people under the age of 50 and detained
them in the infamous Adi Abeito army camp just outside the capital
NOTES
TO EDITORS:
-------------------------------
April 2, 2004 Christian Families Jailed for Praying Together
Eritrean authorities have raided the private homes of Christians, arresting and jailing adults and children praying and reading the Bible together.
Kelete, a lay leader in the Rema Church in the capital Asmara, was arrested in his home at midnight on March 17th with his wife, six children and his father-in-law, according to news agency Compass Direct.
The nine Christians were having family devotions together in the evening when, without warning, the police raided the home and put them all under arrest. After spending the night at a nearby police station, the family was transferred to the Adi Abeto prison outside Asmara.
The following evening another Rema Church leader was arrested with his wife and five children and taken to Police Station No. 5. The entire family was sent to the same prison the following day. The church leader was charged with trying to "start a new religion". An official at the police station reportedly remarked that President Isaias Afwerki had ordered the police and military to arrest any individuals and groups not belonging to Eritrea's four 'official' religions (Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran and Muslim).
In another arrest on February 23rd, ten believers from the Full Gospel Church in Asmara, meeting in a home in the Aba Shwale district of Asmara, were taken to jail. According to Compass Direct, all remain in prison except for an elderly lady hosting the group, who was ordered to pay a fine of 500 Nakfa ($36, locally more than half a month's salary) for holding an illegal meeting for worship in her home.
In mid February, 51 Christians from Asmara's Hallelujah Church were arrested. 46 remain under incommunicado detention at either the Adi Abeto or Mai Serwa military prisons. For the first time, criminal charges and fines were levied against members of unauthorized churches.
All of Eritrea's independent Protestant denominations were closed by government order on May 22, 2002, and their congregations are now forbidden to hold church meetings, even in private homes. This is the first time time that families have been penalized for worshipping together in their homes. At least 385 Protestant Christians are confirmed jailed and several have been subjected to severe torture for refusing to recant their faith. Some have been imprisoned for nearly two years.
On March 5th, during the ceremonial installation of the new patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, President Afwerki accused several religious groups of having been duped by foreigners who sought to "distract from the unity of the Eritrean people and distort the true meaning of religion." He added that such "futile efforts" would not be tolerated by his government. Subsequently on March 18th, police arrested 20 members of the Kale Hiwot Church in Assab as they attended a home group meeting. Compass Direct also reports that on the following day the security services began to monitor the Sunday school meetings of a group of young adults from the Orthodox Church and their young priest whom they accused of conducting 'illegal activities'. Then on March 19th, police arrested Yona Haile, an Eritrean Christian singer, accusing him of activities contrary to government policies.
Mervyn Thomas, CSW-USA Boardmember and Chief Executive of CSW-UK, said: "These latest arrests in Eritrea show the government to be acting against universal standards of human rights and religious freedom. Arresting whole families simply for worshipping in the privacy of their own homes is an outrage which must not be tolerated by the international community.
"CSW will continue to work for the freedom of these innocent believers and to get this discriminatory government edict overturned."
The Eritrean Christian Fellowship in Europe has called on the President to end the persecution which has overtaken so many Eritrean Christians.
In a petition signed by representatives from across Europe, they write: "You yourself have on many occasions attested that Eritrea's biggest asset is the unity of Eritreans. Actions such as the current purge against Eritrean Christians grossly undermines this asset, inflicting widespread damage on the fabric of the society, more so than any enemy from within or outside the country."
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August 20, 2003 Protestors for religious freedom outside Eritrean Embassy in London
Protestors are campaigning this week outside the Eritrean
Embassy in response to the growing persecution of Christians in that country.
The campaigners from All Saints C of E Church, Carnegie Street, Islington are raising awareness and gathering signatures for a petition outside the
embassy in White Lion Street, London.
Reverend Martyn Saunders said: "All Saints Church is a local congregation of the Church of England. As such we seek to serve the local community, by
showing God's love in action as well as in words. When we were made aware of the present situation in Eritrea, we were moved to prayer and action.
"Having discovered that the Eritrean embassy is only a few streets away from our church, we felt we could do no other than to make our protest felt. So,
throughout the week of August 18th, church members and friends have been on the street outside the embassy, praying for change, explaining to passers by
and embassy staff about the situation, and garnering signatures to a petition seeking for the enactment of the humans rights treaties which the
government has already signed."
Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide-UK, said: "We are really encouraged to see the local church take such decisive and timely
action on behalf of Christians in Eritrea.
"We will do our part by continuing to highlight abuses of religious freedom and to campaign for reconciliation between the Eritrean Orthodox Church and
other denominations."
Africa's newest country of four million people is almost evenly split between Christians and Muslims and generally interfaith relations have been
good. The main problems for Christians seem to come from the alliance between the state and the Orthodox Church.
In January, 2003, 50 members of the Charismatic Rhema Church in the capital Asmara were jailed for ten days following a police raid on New Year
celebrations.
From February to March, Christian NGO Compass Direct reported that 170 Christians were jailed, beaten and threatened with death by security forces
following five separate raids on worship services, wedding ceremonies and other gatherings. Those who bailed out jailed relatives were forced to sign
a document saying they were liable to execution if they were caught at any subsequent church meeting.
On April 17th, a group of 15 Christians in Kushte, nine kilometers from Asmara, needed hospital treatment after an attack by a stick-wielding mob which
allegedly included four Orthodox priests.
Groups of churchgoers have been forcibly taken to military training camps, and on April 26th, two young people from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Asmara were arrested after proceeding through the streets to celebrate Easter.
Persecution is said to be particularly intense in the armed forces where at least 77 soldiers, including 13 women and 16 married men are reported to
have been jailed. All are Protestants and all were jailed for refusing to deny their beliefs and return to Orthodoxy. They have been denied contact
with their relatives and most have now been incarcerated for over a year. According to Christian News Agency Compass Direct, several have suffered
severe, and in some cases debilitating, physical and sexual abuse.
On May 1, 2003, the Eritrean government issued a blanket denial of the existence of persecution in the country stating that 'no groups or persons
are persecuted in Eritrea for their beliefs or religion' and that people were 'free to worship according to their wish'. However, six days later
police raided prayer meetings held in the private homes of the members of the Rhema Church in Asmara, arresting 54 members and two evangelists and
charging them with holding illegal meetings. Persecution has since continued unabated.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Since gaining independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year war, Eritrea has struggled to rebuild a shattered infrastructure.
The ruling Popular Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), in fear of extreme groups of either Christians or Muslims, has banned religious
organizations from involvement in politics or from commenting in detail on political matters.
The PFDJ is close to the Orthodox Church, but is suspicious of newer groups such as Evangelicals, Charismatics and Pentecostals. Non-orthodox church
buildings have been confiscated, meetings have been disrupted, and church leaders and members have been detained, beaten, tortured, threatened and
even killed.
On May 21, 2002, the PFDJ issued a decree closing all churches not belonging to the Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Evangelical Lutheran denominations. So
far 36 churches have been closed.
Article 19 of the Eritrean Constitution allows for freedom of conscience, religion, movement, assembly,
organization and expression of opinion. However, the constitution has yet to be implemented. Eritrea has also
acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, all of which contain provisions for
freedom of religion.
The country's robust post-independence foreign policy has meant that neighboring
countries have been more than willing to harbor Eritrean opposition forces. This in turn has caused the ruling Popular Front for
Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) to develop what one observer has termed a 'persecution complex'. The government has become increasingly repressive,
cracking down on students, journalists, religious groupings and even ruling party members.
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September 12, 2002 Church
Closures Accompany New Wave of Intolerance in Eritrea
Persecution of evangelical and charismatic Christians has broken out in Eritrean
following several years of harassment.
In 2001, young people were beaten, their property vandalized, and Bibles and other religious materials burned in an officially sanctioned attack within
an Orthodox church in the capital Asmara. Church leaders initiated the attack on the pretext of dealing with so-called
'heretics' in their midst.
In 2002, government spokespersons began comparing Pentecostal/charismatic and evangelical churches with Islamists and branded them a danger to
national security. As a consequence of this, all churches not belonging to the Orthodox,
Catholic or Lutheran denominations in Eritrea were ordered to close in May 2002.
More than 36 churches have been closed so far and some Christians even find it difficult to meet in their homes.
For some years now, followers of newer denominations deemed 'heretical' by the authorities, have experienced harassment. Non-Orthodox church buildings
have been confiscated and some church leaders have been detained in rural areas. Officials now seem to be increasing their clampdown on believers
throughout the country.
Persecution is reported to be particularly bad in the armed forces after large numbers of Eritrean soldiers were strengthened in their faith by
tuning in to FEBA radio, which broadcasts Christian programs from the Seychelles.
Prayer meetings in the army are now forbidden and attendance is punishable by imprisonment. Anyone found in possession of a Bible faces severe
punishment and there are unconfirmed reports of several young Christian soldiers having been shot after being discovered reading the Bible.
CSW is calling on the Government of Eritrea to honor its commitments under both national and international law to respect religious freedom.
CSW is encouraging supporters to write to the Eritrean ambassador in
Washington asking him to urge his government to reconsider its enmity towards
Christians who belong to the newer denominations.
Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of CSW-UK, said: "Religious freedom has been gradually eroded in Eritrea until today when there seems to be a renewed
clampdown on believers.
"We call on the international community to speak up for those who are being persecuted for their faith before the situation becomes even more serious
and we call on church leaders of all denominations to work for reconciliation and unity."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Eritrea became independent of Italy in 1941 after over 50 years of colonial rule, but a 30-year war of independence from Ethiopia began in 1962. In 1993
Eritrea became Africa's 52nd state, but war broke out again between Eritrea and Ethiopia in 1998.
In 2000 an international peacekeeping force created a buffer zone between the two countries.
In the last two years, the ruling Popular Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) has become increasingly intolerant of dissent.
Under the pretext of maintaining national unity, the government has banned
religious organizations from involvement in politics. The PFDJ has also
placed such severe restrictions on international NGOs that they have all but wound up their activities.
The population of Eritrea is divided almost equally between Muslims and Christians and interfaith relations are generally good. The
PFDJ, which is
close to the Orthodox Church, is concerned to crack down on any perceived extremism, be it from Muslims or Christians.
Civil servants, students and politicians are fleeing the repression, and during the first two weeks of August this year, 26 Eritreans fled to
Ethiopia, and on September 6 Eritrea's ambassador to Sudan abandoned his post and fled to Europe.