Christian arrests in Eritrea confirmed
ICC Note
“They don’t pose any security risk to the country. These are just old married people. They have just come together to pray. It doesn’t make any sense to arrest moms and grand-moms for praying together.”
11/09/2009 Eritrea (MNN)-A religious rights advocate in Washington , DC is condemning the arrest of more Christians in Eritrea . According to International Christian Concern, 30 Christian women were arrested in Asmara , the country’s capital city.
International Christians Concern’s Regional Manager for Africa and South Asia Jonathan Racho says, “The Christians were praying at a house at the time Eritrean officials raided the prayer meeting, arrested all of the people, and took them to the police station.”
Racho is baffled by their arrests. “They don’t pose any security risk to the country. These are just old married people. They have just come together to pray. It doesn’t make any sense to arrest moms and grand-moms for praying together.”
Racho says Eritrea is a communist nation. “They have this strong ambition to control every aspect of their people. They want to regulate everything. They want to intervene in every aspect of their citizens’ lives.”
Many human rights observers have accused Eritrea of human rights violations, specifically religious rights violations, says Racho. “Eritrean officials continue to deny that they are violating the religious freedom of their people. They continue to deny they are imprisoning Christians. This is just unbelievable.”
In the meantime, ICC is helping support the families of these imprisoned believers. You can help ICC by making a donation. Click here to help.
Please pray for the safety of the imprisoned women, their release from prison, and for the release of all the imprisoned Christians in Eritrea .
