CSW has learnt that Helen Berhane, the Eritrean gospel singer jailed since May 2004, has been released from prison this week.

According to reports from Release Eritrea, Ms Berhane is at home with her family in Asmara. Dr Berhane Asmelash, Director of Release Eritrea, said in a statement that he was "extremely relieved" and urged the authorities to extend the same decision to the remaining prisoners of conscience.

31-year-old Helen Berhane is a member of the Rhema Pentecostal Church. She was incarcerated soon after releasing an album of gospel music popular among young Eritrean Christians. Helen is reported to have been held for extensive periods of time in shipping containers and in underground cells at the Mai-Serwa military camp. She has repeatedly refused to sign a paper recanting her faith and promising not to participate in church-related activities.

Last month, Ms Berhane was admitted to hospital, with signs of having suffered physical mistreatment.

CSW Advocacy Director, Alexa Papadouris said: "We are delighted to learn of Helen Berhane's release. She has been incarcerated without charge or trial for the last two years and appears to have suffered the most appalling mistreatment simply because of her faith, despite the provisions for freedom of worship contained within the Eritrean Constitution. We call on the Eritrean Government to release all other prisoners of conscience and to refrain from further harassment of Eritrean citizens who simply wish to worship in peace according to their faith."

Notes to editors.

1. On 22 May 2002, the Eritrean government ordered the closure of all churches not belonging to the Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Lutheran denominations, and an end to all other religious practices except Islam. The move came in the wake of increasing harassment of evangelical and Pentecostal denominations in particular, which the government equated with Islamists and vilified as non-indigenous, unpatriotic agents of foreign interests, who were seeking to undermine public morality and destabilise the country.

2. Some 2000 Christians are currently detained, for the most part without charge, in Eritrea. Amongst them is the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, Abune Antonius, who has been illegally removed from office and placed under house arrest for objecting to government interference in church affairs.