November 29 2004

CSW has recently received reports that three Orthodox priests have been detained since the third week of November.

Dr Futsum Gebrenegus, Eritrea's only psychiatrist, Dr Tekeleab, a GP and the Reverend Gebremebhin are all Orthodox priests involved in the renewal movement within the Orthodox Church.

On May 22 2002, the government banned all but three denominations - the Orthodox, Evangelical Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches. The arrest of these three Orthodox priests is a further attack on religious liberty in Eritrea. It shows the government is even prepared to restrict the activities of denominations which are officially authorised to function.

Eritrean security forces have raided dozens of homes and have arrested hundreds of Christians, including young children, simply for having a Bible or attending a Christian meeting. There are reported to be an estimated 400 Christians in prison, many having served more than two years.

In terms of religious liberties, Eritrea is the third most repressive country in Africa after Somalia and Sudan.

Eritrea's government also carries out other serious human rights abuses. Since 1998 the government has regularly conducted arbitrary mass round ups of people within the age of enlistment in order to find 'draft dodgers.'

The most recent on November 4 ended in tragedy. The government is reported to have indiscriminately rounded up thousands of people under the age of 50 and detained them in the infamous Adi Abeito army camp just outside the capital Asmara.

A prison wall either fell or was pushed over by some of the prisoners. As the wall fell it is reported to have killed five guards. The rest of the guards began firing at the crowd, killing between 20 and 50 people and injuring scores more.

According to one report the authorities hastily buried some of the dead while the injured were hospitalised pending re-arrest. The government has attempted to dismiss reports on the incident as 'overblown', and has insisted on describing the victims of the round up as 'gangsters' and draft dodgers.

Nevertheless according to reports, the situation in the country remains extremely tense. In the aftermath of this incident the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning human rights abuses in Eritrea. The resolution demanded a full investigation into the incident and expressed anxiety regarding the well-being of alleged draft dodgers who continue to be held in detention. It also called on Eritrea to abide by international human rights conventions, and to immediately release the 11 former members of the ruling party imprisoned without charge since September 2001.

In a response from Yemane Gebremeskel, President Isaias Afeworki's Chief of Staff, the Eritrean government dismissed the resolution as 'extremely inappropriate'. Gebremeskel went on to say that only two people had died during the incident and to add that the resolution would 'only reduce the influence of the European Parliament'.

Stuart Windsor, National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said: "The arrest of these three Orthodox priests shows yet again that the Eritrean authorities have little or no respect for religious freedom. The appalling incident and subsequent cover-up at Abi Abeito shows their disregard for human rights. We call on the international community to continue to put pressure on the Eritrean government to treat religious minorities and all its citizens in accordance with international human rights standards."

CSW is a human rights charity working on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs. We also promote religious liberty for all.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

During May 2004, three senior Church leaders were arrested. The Reverend Haile Naizge, chairman of the Full Gospel Church, Dr. Kuflu Gebremeskel, chairman of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance and Pastor Tesfatsion Hagos of the Rhema Evangelical Church in Asmara were initially held in police cells in the Eritrean capital. It was reported in August that the three leaders had been transferred from these cells to an unknown location.

The three pastors are now thought to be held incommunicado in Wengel Mermera investigation centre, the dungeon-like inner prison in Asmara where many of Eritrea's prominent political prisoners are also believed to be held.

At the time Reverend Naizge was detained, his mother was already seriously ill and had been in hospital for over a month with heart problems. She had already lost two sons who died as war heroes in the struggle for independence, thus the family did not inform her of her son's arrest for more than a month. She has since died without being able to see her son for the last time.

Pastor Hagos' father also died while he was in detention and the pastor was unable to attend his funeral.