Eritrean Pastors Still Jailed without Charges

(Compass) – Nine weeks after Eritrean police arrested three prominent Protestant pastors, the Asmara government continues to detain them and refuses families and church members any direct access to the prisoners. The Rev. Haile Naizgi and Dr. Kiflu Gebremeske, leaders of the Full Gospel Church, have been imprisoned since May 23, and Pastor Tesfatsion Hagos of the Rema Evangelical Church since May 26. No reason has been given for their imprisonment, nor have the three been charged with any legal offense. Meanwhile, evangelical pastor Mengse Tweldemedhane and popular Christian singer Yonas Haile managed to escape from the Sawa Military Center and flee together to Sudan in late June. Christian vocalist Helen Berhane remains under severe confinement in a shipping container at the Mai Serwa military camp just north of Asmara since her arrest on May 13. Although the Eritrean Constitution guarantees freedom of religion for all citizens, President Isaias Afewerki closed down the nation’s independent Protestant churches in May 2002, forbidding the 20,000 members of 12 banned denominations to worship even in their homes.