A leading Christian human rights charity says Christians are
facing yet another crackdown in Eritrea.
The east African country has a repressive government that has a
long track record of poor treatment of minorities.
Now, Release International says 200 Christians have been arrested
during raids by security services.
'Eritrea today is like one giant prison where hope has disappeared
and where the majority of people are denied simple freedoms, basic human dignity
and human rights,' says Paul Robinson, CEO of Release International.
Release also says that this wave of pressure on Christians is
different to previous spates. Eritrea has embarked on periodic roundups of
Christians, but what makes this different is that most are now being arrested in
their homes, rather than at 'illegal' Bible studies or church
services.
Release says that Eritrean Orthodox priests are accompanying
security services, to ask people the religion they belong to. If any say they
are Protestant, the security police ask them for confirmation certificate. This
is given only to Lutheran members on the day of their confirmation. If they
cannot produce the certificate to demonstrate they are Lutherans, a denomination
that is sanction by the state, then they face arrest. Methodists, Baptists,
Mennonites, Full Gospel and Pentecostal Christians are most at
risk.
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