Release International

Another Eritrean Christian has died in prison -- the third in less than five months.

Magos Solomon Semere is reported to have succumbed to physical torture and severe pneumonia, for which he was refused proper medical attention. He died at the Adi-Nefase Military Confinement facility near Assab city, after four-and-a-half years in jail. His crime: to have evangelised and worshipped in a Protestant church.

Semere's death on February 15 follows the murder of two other Christians in custody last October: they were tortured to death by security police. Immanuel Andegergesh, 23, and Kibrom Firemichel, 30, from Asmara died at a military camp outside the town of Adi-Quala.

There are certainly no signs of an end to Eritrea's brutal crackdown on Christians, which began in 2002 with a ban on all faith gatherings apart from Orthodox, Lutheran, Muslim and Roman Catholic groups.

On February 18, the authorities arrested ten Eritrean Christians during a 'purely social visit' to a private home in Asmara, to congratulate a newly-wed couple on their marriage. The newly-weds were not among the detainees -- but six of the ten arrested were women.

And on January 23, a founder of the Full Gospel Church, Pastor Habtom Tesfamichel was arrested in Asmara. He had been leading his congregation since the arrest of its previous pastor Kidane Weldou in March 2005.
On a more positive note, new reports reveal that three Eritrean church leaders -- Simon Tsegay, Gebremichel Yohannes and Fanuel Mihreteab -- were unexpectedly released on bail in January. The former two were arrested last September: the third had been in jail for two years.

• Thank God that three Eritrean pastors have been granted bail: pray that any charges against them will be dropped.
• Pray for the families of the three Christians who have died in jail over the last five months. Ask God to strengthen their faith and their resolve to continue His work.

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