No public defense lawyers exist. 09/03/2022 Eritrea (International Christian Concern) - The government of Eritrea has taken over a Catholic-run technical college, according to the BBC. The Christian population is predominantly Eritrean Orthodox. Failure to participate in the militia or national service may result in detention. The expulsion letter threatens punishment for mentioning his name. International nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and international media continued to report that members of all religious groups were, to varying degrees, subjected to government abuses and restrictions. ERITREA releases 28 Jehovah's Witnesses from prison 16 October 2014. 2005). . On Wednesday, Amnesty International (AI) released "Eritrea: Religious Persecution," documenting 44 incidents of religious persecution in Eritrea since 2003. New faiths in the region are restricted from operating without registration which is an arduous task. The government continued to detain scores of Eritreans without trial, in extremely punitive conditions, and often incommunicado. A 2002 decree requires all other religious groups to submit registration applications and to cease religious activities and services prior to approval. NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) - Eritrean Christians and human rights advocates are cheering the release of 35 Christian prisoners as a new peace pact between . There is no sphere of life in which the pressure on Christians is not at an extreme level, and it is at its highest in church and public life where government policy is mainly responsible for exerting pressure. Despite calls for reform, in August the government again conscripted the latest batch of students into national service. At least 26 pastors and priests are detained as prisoners of conscience. Catholics, Protestants, and other Christian denominations, including Jehovahs Witnesses and Pentecostals, constitute less than 5 percent of the Christian population. It is beyond the government's control.". These Sunni Muslims differ from other Muslims in that they believe in the companions of Muhammad who compiled the Quran. The government continued to deny citizenship to Jehovahs Witnesses after stripping them of citizenship in 1994 for refusing to participate in the referendum that created the independent state of Eritrea. The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Some former prisoners held for their religious beliefs continued to report harsh detention conditions, including solitary confinement, physical abuse, and inadequate food, water, and shelter. Independent press has not been tolerated inside Eritrea since 2001. Heavenly Father, we pray for all our brothers and sisters currently imprisoned for their faith in Eritrea. There are thought to be 1,000 Christians indefinitely detained in Eritrean prisons, not officially charged with anything. Eritrean Orthodox Christianity and Sunni Islam are the largest denominations in the country, with persecution seen among minority churches like Jehovah Witness, independent non-Evangelical churches, and Wahabi Islam. The government continued to detain Jehovahs Witnesses and other religious prisoners for failure to follow the law or for national security reasons and continued to deny them citizenship. The western and eastern parts of the country are majority Muslim, while the central areas are more Christian Orthodox. Today the Sunni Muslim exists in countries like Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Bahrain. Religious persecution in Eritrea and the role of the European Union in tackling the challenge January 2013 Publisher: London: Routledge Publishing Authors: Mirjam van Reisen Leiden University. "Christians are the most persecuted group. The government continued to single out Jehovahs Witnesses for particularly harsh treatment because of their blanket refusal to vote in the 1993 referendum on the countrys independence and subsequent refusal to participate in mandatory national service, for which the government stripped them of their citizenship in 1994. "Eritrea." The 50 Countries Where It's Hardest to Follow Jesus in 2023 The US Commission on International Religious Freedom monitors/analyzes Eritrea's continued refusal to recognize all but four religious communities. Those who are released are often only released for a temporary period or they are released for good international press coverage. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. The small number of Catholics in the region is due to the persecution of many Christians forcing many to convert to the Orthodox Tewahedo Christianity. According to the Team Leader at CSW, in regard to the Mulu Wongel Church, "[p]ersecution and arrests continue to date. Information from outside the capital was extremely limited. Why is the CofE opposing Christians in court? Each application must include a description of the groups history in the country; an explanation of the uniqueness or benefit the group offers compared with other registered religious groups; names and personal information of the groups leaders; detailed information on assets; a description of the groups conformity to local culture; and a declaration of all foreign sources of funding. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. face pressure to recant their faith (ibid. Authorities in Eritrea released 240 religious prisoners on bail, allegedly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and eased restrictions on the Baha'i com- munity, the Jewish community, and the Greek Orthodox Church. This became so hot during the day, and then in the night it became freezing cold. For two decades, President Isaias Afewerki of Eritrea used the absence of peace with Ethiopia to justify authoritarianism. Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or a group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or their lack thereof. Serving Persecuted Christians Worldwide - Eritrea - Open Doors 04/25/2023 Eritrea (International Christian Concern) - Earlier this month, Eritrean police raided a group of Christian college students who had gathered to worship and record video clips for social media. Those becoming Christians from a Muslim background, or changing denomination from an Orthodox background, face the harshest oppression from all sides as their communities and families turn against them as well. On April 12, the BBC reported that 36 Christians were released on bail, including 22 from the previous group in Asmara reported by Release International and 14 who had been in prison on the Dahlak Islands for four years. [Accessed 24 Oct. 2014], United Nations (UN). In 2007, WWM reported that Full Gospel Pastor Habtom Tesfamichel was arrested in Asmara and was imprisoned in the Wengel Mermera investigation centre (ibid.). Home Office. "Prisoner of Conscience/Torture or Ill-treatment/Detention Without Charge." Shiden was imprisoned for more than a decadesimply for worshipping Jesus. on religious grounds in Eritrea. of monitoring has led to Eritrea holding the infamous title of Africas North Korea (The Economist, Aug. 14, 2018). Amen. 5 September 2007. Eritrea is ranked as the seventh worse country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution on Open Doors USA's 2019 World Watch List. Muslim or Orthodox backgrounds living in those regions are more susceptible to persecution. The security forces also arrested the deacons, the church ministers and choir during the church raid, even though the Catholic church is meant to be one of the 'accepted' Christian denominations in Eritrea. The U.S. government estimates the total population at 6.1 million (midyear 2021). NGOs estimated authorities continued to detain from 130 to more than 1,000 people due to their faith. Same-sex relations are prohibited. Pray for wisdom, discernment and boldness for believers as they seek to meet together despite the threat of surveillance. (AFR 64/001/2013) [Accessed 14 Oct. 2014], _____. Eritrean authorities continue to recognize only four religious (ibid.). Share this via Twitter Source: THE ABUNA BLESSES THE FOUNTAIN IN ASMARA FOR TIMKET, RUETERS / Old. Violence against Christians has increased slightly in the past year. N.d. "Compass Direct News." When people see that, they accept Jesus.. After military training, some conscripts are assigned to military duties, but according to the government, over 80 percent are assigned jobs in the civil service or at government agricultural or construction projects. We do not support their act," said the authorities. On weekends, students are assigned to forced labor at a nearby government farm. Open Doors works through local church partners in Eritrea to provide economic empowerment projects, discipleship and persecution survival training. Ill-treatment is common, including torture. . "Prominent Eritrean Pastor Disappears in Asmara." Around the new year, 25 young believers were detained in Barentu and Asmara. Satellite Imagery of the Sawa military camp, including the Warsai Yikealo Secondary School, recorded in January 2015. Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, Office of the U.S. 2014, 56). At age 5, Patriarch Antonios ; AI 5 Sept. 2007; US 30 Apr. Over the years, government security forces have conducted hundreds of house-to-house raids to catch other Christians. The country is filled with jails. Eritrea has jailed hundreds of Christians indefinitely simply because of their faith. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Oral sources: Attempts to contact the following individuals and organizations were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: former Asmara University professor; Amnesty International; Eritrean Evangelical Church, Washington, DC; Full Gospel Eritrean Church, Stockholm; Human Rights Watch; International Christian Concern; Mulu Wongel Believers Fellowship Network; Open Doors Canada; professor, Centre for Law and Religion, Cardiff University, UK; professor of human rights law, University of Pretoria; World Evangelical Alliance. No new religious institutions were officially registered, and thus only four religious communities remain legally permitted to operate: the Coptic Orthodox Church of Eritrea, Sunni Islam, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Church of Eritrea, a Lutheran-affiliated denomination. The Office of Religious Affairs has authority to regulate religious activities and institutions, including approval of the applications of religious groups seeking official registration. Eritreans are subject to arrest and incarceration for long periods, without trial or opportunity to appeal. Imagery DigitalGlobe - Maxar Technologies 2019; Source: Google Earth, Share this via Facebook Printable version Eritrean Christians tell of torture By Tanya Datta BBC News, northern Ethiopia Paulus says he was tortured for being an Evangelical Christian Orthodox Christian teachers are on the chopping block, The cultural tide is continuing to turn more conservative, In church remains, German archaeologists discover the truth of 'Atlantis of the North Sea', One year since Roe v Wade: reasons to rejoice, New Zealand court cancels Christian teacher's license for refusing trans pronouns, American street preacher arrested in Canterbury during LGBT Pride event. Absenteeism is rampant and the education system suffers. Who is most vulnerable to persecution? In times of emergency, the length of national service may be extended indefinitely, and the country officially has been in a state of emergency since the beginning of the 1998 war with Ethiopia. Friday, June 23, 2023. We didn't get much to eat and there was no medical treatment," she said. Some members of religious groups that are unregistered or otherwise not in compliance with the law reportedly continue to be subject to the former provisional penal code, which sets penalties for failure to register and noncompliance. Protestant churches in the country include Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea, Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, and the Christian Brethren. Eritrea's Political History. ; Team Leader 16 Oct. 2014); are denied administrative services, such as being issued national identity cards (UN 28 May 2013, para. In 2007, WWM reported that authorities had not disclosed any charges against the pastors and priests who were held at the Wengel Mermera investigation centre, and that "[m]ost are held incommunicado, with police authorities refusing to even confirm their location" (WWM 15 Feb. 2007). 30 April 2013. Allegedly, some of these releases were made due to fears of COVID-19 spreading in prisons. As a result of denomination persecution extremities, many people, especially the youth, flee the country. The government announced plans to continue its confiscation and nationalization of Catholic schools, begun in 2018. Correspondence from a representative to the Research Directorate. The Team Leader stated that as of 2005, 7 of the 16 imprisoned senior church leaders were from the Mulu Wongel Church (16 Oct. 2014). As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and. Other ways to share 65; US 30 Apr. Some religious prisoners reported they were allowed to worship together in prison as long as they did so quietly. Some estimates suggest 2 percent of the population is traditionally animist. Religious Persecution 1. [4] Open Doors is an advocacy and support international organization for persecuted Christians worldwide (Open Doors n.d.). Eritrean Christians released from shipping container prisons Amnesty International (AI) explains that these "'minority religious groups' had recognized places of worship until these were all closed down by the government in 2002" (7 Dec. 2005, 4). Estimates of the Christian share of the population range from 47% and 43%, while estimates of the Muslim share of the population range from 37% to 57%. They also advocated for the release of Jehovahs Witnesses, including the remaining 24 still in prison, and for an alternative service option for conscientious objectors refusing to bear arms for religious reasons, and they expressed concern over the continued detention of Patriarch Abune Antonios. Remove the church and the community will be left without leaders. 65); and. Eritrea: 20 Years of Independence, But Still No Freedom. There are no reliable figures on religious affiliation. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. ERITREA Last month marked 20 years since the Eritrean government closed all churches that were not Orthodox, Catholic or Lutheran. N.d. "About VOM." on The use of your data can be found in our Privacy Policy. In some prisons, religious prisoners reportedly were not allowed to have visitors, but in others, visitors were allowed. 5 November 2003. Despite the 2018 rapprochement between Eritrea and Ethiopia, the disputed border has not been demarcated and Ethiopia has not withdrawn from Badme, the village that triggered the1998 war. "if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'christiantoday_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',156,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-christiantoday_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Release partners estimate that at least 220 Christians are behind bars in Eritrea - many of them believed to be Pentecostal or Evangelical. The four officially recognized religions are the Christian Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran Churches and Sunni Islam (ibid.