Eritrea: Twenty Christians Including Young Children Remain in Custody
Jun 26 2007
Postings >> Eritrea

About 20 Christians including several young children are believed to be still in custody, a month after they were arrested by security forces in Eritrea.

The group, all from the Kale Hiwot Church, were seized on May 27 when officials raided a house in Dekemhare, 25 miles south of Asmara, expecting to interrupt a prayer meeting. When they discovered that no such meeting was taking place, they rounded up everyone in the home and at several addresses in the neighbourhood, reports Release-Eritrea UK. The watchdog also reports that officials seized the video recording of a wedding -- and later arrested the bridal couple and the pastor who had married them.

Many of the detainees are reportedly held in Adi Abeyto prison, and some in the 5th police station in Asmara. Eritrea bans Independent churches such as the Kale Hiwott Church. Friends are particularly concerned about one of those detained, Pastor Michael Abraha. He suffers from a condition called hypoglycaemia. Christian Solidarity Worldwide quoted a friend of the pastor as saying, 'If food does not come to him on time, he will die.'

• Pray for the health and safety of all those detained -- and for their swift release.
• Pray that the international community would put more pressure on Eritrea to halt its crackdown on 'illegal' faith groups and allow greater religious liberty.