Eritrea: 20 Years of Independence, But Still No Freedom. On weekends, students are assigned to forced labor at a nearby government farm. [Accessed 27 Oct. 2014], Release International. There's no time limit on military service and Eritrea does not allow conscientious objection. Weldou remains in detention and is reportedly imprisoned in Asmara's Wengel Mermera investigation centre (16 Oct. 2014). been released in recent months; powerfully intervene to bring about the release of more. It's led to extreme persecution and one of the reasons Eritrea is at number six on the Open Doors World Watch List. As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and. The EU held two rounds of political dialogue with Eritrea under article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement, one in November, the other in March. if(ffid == 2){ Eritrea'S Christians - the Persecution Continues When people see that, they accept Jesus.. "Advocacy." Share How many Christians are there in Eritrea? Religious Persecution 1. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'stat_source_id', 44); 65; US 30 Apr. Our happiness is not based on what we have or do not have. The towns of Barentu in the west, Adiquala in the south and Dekemhare near Asmara are said to have the highest populations of Christian prisoners of conscience. The Bahai community reports approximately 500 members, half of whom reside in the capital, Asmara. Amen. In Eritrea, they inhabit the areas of Eastern, coastal and western lowlands. Share this via WhatsApp "This number is too much in a single home meeting. Eritrea: Religious Persecution. Pray that Christians from Islamic and Orthodox backgrounds will be encouraged and empowered to stand firm in their faith. 2009, 59); are tortured (ibid., 59-60; WEA 29 Nov. 2010; UN 28 May 2013, para. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. Also in 2006, sources reported that Full Gospel Pastor Jorjo Gebreab was arrested (WWM 4 Jan. 2006; BosNewsLife 8 Jan. 2006). "WEA-RLC Report: Tackling the Root Cause of Christian Persecution in Eritrea." This is a read only version of the page. [5] Information on whether this individual was originally arrested in Asmara before being transferred to the military camp could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. We pray that all Christians would be able to meet and encourage one another in safety. . The same source reports that Mehreteab was first held at the Wengel Mermera investigation centre and was taken, together with two other pastors, before military commanders in extrajudicial hearings that took place in September 2005 (ibid. ins.dataset.adClient = pid; Since that time, Mulu Wongel Church members have not been able to practice their faith in the open (Team Leader 16 Oct. 2014; ECHRG 22 Oct. 2014). Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. 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. Religious nationalism (3 countries): This is the main source of persecution that Christians face in three nations, all in Asia. PDF ERITREA - United States Commission on International Religious Freedom The government said its official party doctrine promoted national citizenship above religious sectarianism and stated that it did not officially prefer any religion. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Office of the U.S. Special Presidential Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Office of the U.S. Internet sites, including: African Human Rights Law Journal; Agence France-Presse; Alenalki; Al Jazeera; AllAfrica.com; Asmarino Independent; Asylum Information Database; BBC; Christian Science Monitor; ecoi.net; Erigazette.org; Eritrea Daily; Factiva; Freedom House; Human Rights Concern - Eritrea; Human Rights Without Frontiers; International Crisis Group; International Federation for Human Rights; Ireland Refugee Documentation Centre; Minority Rights Group International; Missionary Service News Agency; Mission Network News; Le Monde diplomatique; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Release-Eritrea.com; UK - Home Office; UN - IRIN, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Refworld, Reliefweb; US - Central Intelligence Agency's Wold Factbook, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants; Worthy News. Some families only hear of the fate of their imprisoned relatives when the prisoners bodies are returned to them. 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. The situation in Eritrea remains unbearable for many. In June 2022, more than 150 Christians were detained while they were praying in the Asmara Godaif neighbourhood. In 2002, the government of Eritrea ordered all religious groups, other than the four officially recognized religions, to register with the state (US 30 Apr. Amnesty International Releases New Report on Religious Persecution in [Accessed 22 Oct. 2014], Eurasia Review. His wife, Almaz Habtemariam, arrested earlier in 2018, was released in August. The Christian population is predominantly Eritrean Orthodox. The 2023 Religious Freedom in the World annual report reveals that 4 billion people live in nations where religious persecution is a serious problem. We use cookies and other technologies on our website. face pressure to recant their faith (ibid. Ciham Ali Abdu, daughter of a former information minister, has been held in incommunicado detention for six years since her arrest at age 15. Catholics, Protestants, and other Christian denominations, including Jehovahs Witnesses and Pentecostals, constitute less than 5 percent of the Christian population. How are Christians persecuted in Eritrea? Believers in Eritrea continue to suffer extreme persecution, making it one of the hardest places in the world to follow Jesus. We do not support their act," said the authorities. Youre offline. Local authorities sometimes denied government ration coupons to Jehovahs Witnesses and members of Pentecostal groups. on The use of your data can be found in our Privacy Policy. Christianity still growing in Eritrea despite 20 years of church closures The US Commission on International Religious Freedom monitors/analyzes Eritrea's continued refusal to recognize all but four religious communities. "We were kept in underground cells. CSW reported that according to the news service Compass Direct News [3], in 2006, "at least 40 pastors, elders and leading laymen" from banned Protestant churches, including the Full Gospel Church, were arrested in Asmara (CSW 2014, 8). The UN special rapporteur on Eritrea expressed concern that their seizure will negatively impact the right to health of the affected populations, in particular, those in remote rural areas. The crackdown came after the countrys Catholic bishops released a pastoral letter obliquely calling for justice and reform from the government, and raising alarm about the ongoing exodus from thecountry. BBC NEWS | Africa | Eritrean Christians tell of torture Some conscripts have been forced to work on projects developing infrastructure for foreign mining companies. Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), an inter-denominational Christian NGO that provides assistance to persecuted Christians worldwide (VOM n.d.), reports that, according to Release International [6], more than 20 Christians were arrested in Asmara in January 2013, including leaders of the Full Gospel Church (VOM 31 Jan. 2013). [1] The Team Leader for Africa and the Middle East at CSW has been working on Eritrea since 2002. (May 2013, 21). No public defense lawyers exist. In April, a Dutch NGO filed a summons calling on the EU to halt the project or risk further legal challenges. Officials in Washington shared similar concerns with officials at the Eritrean embassy. The government recognizes four officially registered religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Church, Sunni Islam, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea. 103 Christian College Students Imprisoned in Eritrea It is 20 years ago this month that the Eritrean state banned every religion except Sunni Islam and the Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches. Militia duties mostly involve security-related activities, such as airport or neighborhood patrolling, and agricultural work. The Orthodox Christian is the largest Christian group in Eritrea with a 51% hold on the total population. In this video, three Eritrean Christians give a short insight into what life . Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in close to 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Indefinite Military Service and Forced Labor, Freedom of Speech, Expression and Association, Two Years After #MeToo Erupts, A New Treaty Anchors Workplace Shifts, Holding Companies to Account: Momentum Builds for Corporate Human Rights Duties, As Killer Robots Loom, Demands Grow to Keep Humans in Control of Use of Force, Shutting Down the Internet to Shut Up Critics, With Millions Out of School, the Countdown Begins to Get All Children into Quality, Accessible Education, Going to the Bank for Food, Not Money: The Growing Reality of Hunger in Rich Countries, the disputed border has not been demarcated. 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. ; BosNewsLife 15 Feb. 2007). The European Union initiated what it dubbed a dual track approach to Eritrea, with its development arm focusing on job creation activities, and its political arm reportedly raising human rights issues. Copyright 2023 Open Doors International, Liquid error: Value cannot be null. 03/04/2021 Eritrea (International Christian Concern) - 21 female Christian prisoners, all of whom are young mothers, were freed after spending four years in an Eritrean island prison, reports Christian Today. G. Jeffrey MacDonald. There are 3.7 million people in Eritrea. Coordinator for the Arctic Region, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Office of International Religious Freedom, Office of the Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of the Science and Technology Adviser, Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, Bureau of Information Resource Management, Office of Management Strategy and Solutions, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea is one of the four officially recognized religious institutions in Eritrea; however, Protestants of other denominations (particularly Jehovah's Witnesses ) face persecution . The Pew Foundation in 2016 estimated the population to be 63 percent Christian and 37 percent Muslim. 2013, 4; Human Rights Watch Apr. Human right activists and religions are calling for the arrest of the leaders of Eritrean government for crimes against humanity and denial of the citizens right to worship. The country remains sixth on the World Watch List, making it still one of the hardest places in the world to follow Jesus. (ibid., 6). Parameter name: key, IDP/Refugee-specific Religious Persecution. Each night I had to sleep on the floor with my arms and feet tied together tightly, they called it the Number 8," he told Release. There were no reports of sectarian violence, and most towns and ethnic groups included members from all the major religious groups. Militia training primarily involves occasional marches and listening to patriotic lectures. Internet cafes are monitored and, in May, media reported that the government briefly shut down the internet altogether. View the Eritrea chapters in our annual reports >, View Eritreas religious prisoners of conscience >. Fifty-two reportedly remain in prolonged detention at the Mai Serwa prison, including three arrested in 1994 because of their conscientious objections to military service. While the governments lack of transparency and intimidation of civil society and religious communities created difficulties for individuals who wanted to obtain information on the status of societal respect for religious freedom, religious tolerance appeared to international observers to be widespread within society. Protestant churches in the country include Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea, Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, and the Christian Brethren. The law does not provide for conscientious objector status for religious reasons, nor are there alternative activities for persons willing to perform national service but unwilling to engage in military or militia activities. The Eritrean government is being urged to grant full religious freedom after 20 years of state persecution that has seen churches closed and Christians imprisoned or forced to flee. In May 2002, along with other "independent Protestant churches," the Full Gospel Church was ordered by the government to close down (UK Mar. Authorities continued to confine former Eritrean Orthodox Church Patriarch Abune Antonios to house arrest, where he has remained since 2006. Serving Persecuted Christians Worldwide - Eritrea - Open Doors Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. 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. Christians from April 2006. and religious persecution; search for . (PDF) Religious persecution in Eritrea and the role of the European "During the 2019 World Watch List reporting period, government security forces conducted many house-to-house raids and imprisoned hundreds of Christians in inhumane conditions, including small . 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%. This is not a UNHCR publication. The body of an executive committee member of the Al Diaa school, whose proposed government takeover sparked protests, was returned shortly after his death in January. World Watch Monitor (WWM), a news outlet run by Open Doors [4], which aims to raise awareness on the persecution of Christians (Christianity Today 8 Jan. 2013), reports that Pastor Fanuel Mehreteab was released from Asmara's Sempel prison two years after his arrest in January 2005 and was "forced to surrender property deeds to guarantee his required bail" (WWM 15 Feb. 2007). Embassy officials further discussed religious freedom on a regular basis with a wide range of individuals, including members of the diplomatic corps based in Asmara, in other countries in the region, and UN officials. Members of the underground churches disclosed that there are still over a thousand prisoners that have been detained for periods ranging from over ten years to few months. } I n 2020, religious freedom conditions in Eritrea improved incre- mentally, though overall remained poor. 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. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com, Religious Faith And Persecution In Eritrea, 5 Philosophical Answers to the Meaning of Life, 12 Philosophical Concepts You Should Know, Protestant Christian (Mainly Evangelical Lutheran). ; AI 5 Sept. 2007; US 30 Apr. Release CEO Paul Robinson is calling on the Eritrean government to release Christian prisoners and restore religious freedom to Eritrea. Copyright notice: This document is published with the permission of the copyright holder and producer Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). We use them, among other things, to offer you an option Christianity Is the World's Most Persecuted Religion, Confirms New Other structures belonging to unregistered groups, such as the Church of Christ, remained shuttered. Government authorization remained necessary for any organization to print and distribute documents; for religious groups, that authorization needed to come from the Office of Religious Affairs, which continued to approve requests only from the four officially registered religious groups. In March 2022, Eritrean police arrested 29 Evangelical Christians (Pentecostals) and raided their homes in Asmara while they were praying. The religion grew and spread all over the coastal plains and the highlands with less resistance. NGOs estimated authorities continued to detain from 130 to more than 1,000 people due to their faith. According to the Pew Research Center, Protestants in Eritrea number about 40,000, which represents less than 1% of the population. 1. As in previous years, government security forces conducted many raids and hundreds of Christians were taken to detention centres. ; CSW 2014, 2), ordering church members and staff to leave the building permanently (ibid.). n 2021, religious freedom conditions in Eritrea improved slightly, but overall, they remain poor. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Eritrea, Sheila B. Keetharuth. During the year, the government both arrested and released individuals imprisoned on the basis of religion. Individuals also reported restrictions on clergy meeting with foreign diplomats. 7 December 2005. Some faiths report that they are not allowed to hold religious gatherings, or private worship or religious weddings. Eritreas re-integration into the international community after the lifting of the UN sanctions did not do any good for Christians or even the general public in terms of freedom. Depending on the function, the data is passed on to third parties and processed by them. [Accessed 27 Oct. 2014], Human Rights Watch. The law limits foreign financing for religious groups, including registered groups. on religious grounds in Eritrea. 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. 09/03/2022 Eritrea (International Christian Concern) - The government of Eritrea has taken over a Catholic-run technical college, according to the BBC. Ill-treatment is common, including torture. Official attitudes differed toward members of unregistered religious groups worshipping in homes or rented facilities. Human Rights Violations in Cameroons Anglophone North-West Region, Tunisia: Human Rights Council should address rapidly growing rights crisis, Public debt, tax reform and the right to health in Burundi, Syria: UN member states must support institution for conflicts disappeared, USA: UN Special Rapporteurs findings reinforce urgent need to close Guantnamo and provide redress for past and present detainees. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. The government announced plans to continue its confiscation and nationalization of Catholic schools, begun in 2018. The following individuals and organizations could not provide information for this Response: Association of Evangelicals in Africa; professor of international law and human rights, Emory University, Georgia; Voice of the Martyrs Canada. ; AI May 2013, 24; Team Leader 16 Oct. 2014). Sources report that between 1,200 and 3,000 Christians are currently imprisoned (Team Leader 16 Oct. 2014; WWM 30 May 2013). This has often been a source of tension between them and the three main Christian churches, which were losing members to them. The government has not scheduled elections or implemented the 1997 constitution guaranteeing civil rights and including limits on executive power. Eritrea - United States Department of State Some Muslims expressed privately their feelings of stress and scrutiny in professional and educational settings because of their religion. and to show him the valuable role Christians play in Eritrean society. 03 / Select Countries You can add more than one country or area. The Kunama are diverse, with Christians, Muslims, and animists. We said no. Eritrea has held three Jehovah's Witnesses in jail for 25 years In spite of the significant regional political changes, Eritrea continues to have one of the worst religious freedom records in Africa and it has shown little interest in concretely improving the situation. Despite almost half the population identifying as Christian, believers in Eritrea continue to suffer extreme persecution, making it still one of the hardest places in the world to follow Jesus. The judicial system, partly staffed by national service conscripts subject to military control, has no independence. It also allows us to share our own YouTube videos on the website. In Eritrea, the right to freedom of worship is a foreign concept. The Suni believes in the six pillars of Islam like all other Muslims. May they know Your presence with them in every moment. Sources report that in May 2004, two senior Full Gospel Church leaders were arrested in Asmara: Rev.
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