“Over the last two months, Eritrean authorities have arrested dozens of Christians, including 26 college students, in a fresh crackdown.”

Renewed Crackdown on Christians

News of a fresh wave of arrests in Eritrea has recently come to light. According to the NGO Release-Eritrea, approximately 90 Christians, including several Christian students, have been imprisoned over the last two months following a renewed crackdown on religious freedom by one of the most repressive regimes on the African continent.

Sixty-four Christians were arrested in May this year in Adi Abeito, an area close to the capital city, and detained in Asmara’s 6th Police Station. Six have been released, but there is confusion regarding the whereabouts of the remaining 58 detainees, who are thought either to still be detained in the 6th Police Station or to have been moved to Mitire Prison, where conditions are extremely harsh and torture occurs routinely. During a 2009 CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) visit to Eritrean refugees in Africa, former prisoners described Mitire, an open-air facility located in the desert, where there are poisonous snakes. There are no medical facilities, and prisoners receive very little food. The staple diet is lentil soup, although prisoners can at times bake bread from sorghum. They are made to work hard constructing buildings for officers, and most leave the facility after falling gravely ill. At least twelve Christians are known to have died in custody in Eritrea since the repression in May 2002.

Arrest and ‘Disappearance’ of 26 College Students

On 2 June, 26 college students from Mai-Nefhi College of Technology, southwest of Asmara, were arrested. Their whereabouts is yet to be confirmed although some sources report that they too may have been transferred to Mitire Prison. The circumstances surrounding these arrests are unclear; however, Release-Eritrea reports that on previous occasions the authorities have detained Christian students for alleged unwillingness to participate in Independence Day Celebrations.

Thousands of Christians Imprisoned Since 2002

In May 2002, the Eritrean Government effectively banned all but the Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches of Eritrea. Since then, thousands of Christians have been detained and held in appalling conditions, often in military prisons, underground cells, or in metal shipping containers in searing desert heat. Between 2,000 and 3,000 Christians are currently being held without charge or trial. Several people have died in prison as a result of torture, treatable illnesses and malnutrition. The regime also harasses “permitted” churches. Around 1,700 Orthodox clergy of all ranks have been forced out of the church, and at least 24 are known to be detained, including the legitimate Orthodox patriarch, Abune Antonios.

To find out more, visit the Eritrea country page: www.csw.org.uk

Please pray for His encouragement and deliverance for fellow believers suffering extreme persecution in Eritrea and elsewhere in our world.