Eritrea Frees Christians After Years In Prison Amid Pressure Over Persecution (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

ASMARA (Worthy News) – Some 24 Eritrean Christians have been released from prison after lengthy periods behind bars in the authoritarian-ruled African nation, advocates confirmed Friday.

“Most of the freed Christians had been detained for more than two years, one of them endured imprisonment for over 18 years,” advocacy group Voice of the Martyrs Canada told Worthy News.

“As is often the case, few details have been made available, and no official explanation was given for the releases,” the group added.

Last month’s releases brought the total number of Christian prisoners freed during the past year to more than 400, Christian sources said.

However, Berhane Asmelash, director of advocacy group Release Eritrea, cautioned that “an estimated 200 to 220 believers currently remain imprisoned.”

CHRISTIANS STILL JAILED

Yet Asmelash noted that this marks “the lowest figure throughout the past 20 years.”

Christian advocates suggested overcrowded prison conditions may have contributed to the releases.

Additionally, Eritrean officials may be questioning “the value of prolonged imprisonments,” while “governmental opposition towards evangelical Christianity could be waning,” Voice of the Martyrs Canada explained.

Despite the releases, Christians said followers of Jesus Christ in Eritrea continue to face “unprovoked raids” and arrests.

In one recent known incident on March 15, about 13 believers were reportedly detained by police.

WORLD WATCH LIST

That does not surprise advocacy group Open Doors, which ranks Eritrea fifth on its annual World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most persecution for their faith.

Open Doors described Eritrea as “one of the world’s most difficult places to be a follower of Jesus.”

The government officially recognizes only four religious groups, excluding most Evangelical and Pentecostal churches, which authorities regard as illegal.

“Christians who worship outside state-sanctioned churches face intense surveillance, violent police raids and indefinite imprisonment – often in brutally shocking conditions,” Open Doors said in an assessment seen by Worthy News.

CONVERTS FACE PRESSURE

The group added that converts from Islam or the Eritrean Orthodox Church also risk rejection by relatives and social exclusion in addition to state persecution.

Christian sources said Eritrea’s militarized society compounds the repression.

“People who are forcibly drafted into the military face an indefinite period of service. There is no leniency for anyone unwilling to serve, and Christians in the military caught worshipping are punished severely,” Open Doors noted.

“Christians face a devastating dilemma: endure persecution and forced service or flee the country through routes made hazardous by trafficking, danger and the risk of torture.”

Eritrea has routinely rejected accusations of torture, arbitrary imprisonment, and forced military conscription, blaming what it calls “unsubstantiated rumors” despite repeated reports from rights groups.

AUTHORITARIAN RULE CONTINUES

Authoritarian President Isaias Afwerki, who has ruled Eritrea since its independence in 1993, has faced mounting international pressure over the country’s human rights record, including its treatment of Christians.

Eritrea, a nation of roughly 3.6 million people in the Horn of Africa, has a majority-Christian population. Christians are believed to make up between 55 and 60 percent of the population, though exact figures remain disputed due to limited official data and tight state control.

Voice of the Martyrs Canada said it has urged supporters to pray that the recently released Christians “will experience the Lord’s healing and strength – spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally.”

The advocacy group also expressed hope that Eritrean authorities will become more receptive to the Gospel message and improve religious freedoms in the isolated nation.

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