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Eritrea (MNN) -- Police and military authorities in Eritrea jailed 68 more Christians in three official round-up operations within the last few weeks.
Voice of the Martyr's Todd Nettleton says this is a trend that's causing them some concern. "For the first time, the government has now arrested people who were employees at different government offices, simply for being evangelical Christians, for no other reason than their Christian faith."
For the third year in a row, the U.S. State Department designated Eritrea one of the world's worst violators of religious freedom. Open Doors has been keeping tabs on Eritrea as well. They indicate the country has increased their persecution efforts over the last five years, when the government outlawed Christians' freedom of worship.
As evangelism grows, so do the frequency and severity of the crackdowns. It's WHERE the evangelism happens that's of note, says Nettleton. "It seems like where a lot of the evangelism is happening is in the Orthodox Church. It seems like the revival movement there is gaining momentum, gaining growth. Last year, the government actually took over the Orthodox Church. It obviously makes them nervous."
More than 2,000 Christians are now under arrest in police stations, military camps and jails all across Eritrea because of their religious beliefs. None have been officially charged, or given access to judicial process, even though many have been incarcerated for years.
Ironically, the government continues to support its statement issued in May 2003 that "no groups or persons are persecuted in Eritrea for their beliefs or religion." Pray for believers' strength to stand firm in their faith, and for those in prison. |
