A recent prisoner release in Eritrea included several Christians, yet seven prominent church leaders continue to be held after more than 20 years in detention without charge or trial, according to a report from a Christian watchdog group.
Open Doors, an organization that monitors global persecution of Christians, said this week that Eritrean authorities freed a group of detainees believed to include Christians, along with business figures and political prisoners. However, the group confirmed that none of the seven long-imprisoned senior church leaders it has consistently advocated for were among those released.
The seven church leaders still imprisoned are Rev. Dr. Tekleab Menghisteab, Rev. Million Gebreselassie, Rev. Kidane Weldou, Rev. Gebremedhin Gebregiorgis, Dr. Kuflu Gebremeskel, Dr. Futsum Gebrenegus and Rev. Haile Naizge. Each has been detained for more than two decades without any known legal proceedings.
According to Open Doors, the men have been denied basic legal rights throughout their imprisonment. They have not been allowed to see their families, consult legal counsel or appear before a court.
The prison system in Eritrea is widely criticized by human rights organizations for its harsh and inhumane conditions, including prolonged solitary confinement, overcrowding and lack of medical care.
Earlier this year, Open Doors’ International Global Advocacy Director Tiffany Barrens warned that large numbers of detainees, including those jailed for religious reasons, remain behind bars without legal representation or access to family members.
Open Doors spokesperson Jo Newhouse welcomed the recent releases but cautioned that serious concerns remain. She said the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of those freed is uncertain after years of detention and emphasized the need for sustained international pressure on behalf of those still imprisoned.
Three of the detained leaders — Menghisteab, Gebrenegus and Gebregiorgis — were arrested on Nov. 19, 2004, for their involvement in a renewal movement within the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, one of the four religious groups officially recognized by the state, according to Christian Daily International. None of the three has been charged or tried since their arrest.
Naizge and Gebremeskel were detained during early-morning raids on May 23, 2004. At the time, Naizge served as chair of the Full Gospel Church, while Gebremeskel led the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance and worked as a visiting lecturer. Both are reportedly being held incommunicado at the Wengel Mermera detention facility.
Another church leader, Gebreselassie, headed the Rhema Evangelical Church in Massawa and worked as an anesthetist at a local hospital. He was arrested at a police checkpoint on June 3, 2004, held for two months at Asmara’s Second Police Station, and later transferred to Wengel Mermera.
Weldou, the most recently detained of the seven, was abducted in Asmara on March 18, 2005. He was serving as senior pastor of the Church in Asmara and was also a member of the Executive Committee of Gideons International in Eritrea.
Eritrea officially recognizes only four religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Sunni Islam, the Roman Catholic Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church. While other religious groups are technically allowed to apply for registration, the U.S. Department of State reports that no new religious registrations have been approved since 2002.
According to estimates from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, approximately 51% of Eritrea’s 6.3 million people are Sunni Muslim, while about 41% belong to the Eritrean Orthodox Church. Roman Catholics account for roughly 5% of the population, with Protestants, Baha’is, atheists and adherents of traditional religions making up less than 5% combined.
