30 Christians Arrested in Government Raid on Church in Eritrea

ICC Note:
Eritrea, considered one of the worst persecutors of Christians on the planet, has reportedly arrested and detained 30 Christians who had gathered for evening prayer at the Church of the Living God in the capital Asmara. These Christians are now being detained at a police station and are being asked to recant their faith or else face imprisonment. According to reports from Christians who have survived Eritrea’s prison system, conditions are extremely inhuman. Human rights groups across the world have asked Eritrea to allow them to investigate the conditions of these prisons, but the government has continue to deny these groups access. Please pray for these persecuted brothers and sisters as they face persecution on one of its most extreme forms.
9/4/2013 Eritrea (Mission Network News) – Eritrean authorities arrested 30 members of the Church of the Living God gathered for evening prayer on August 24.
The Christians were located in the Kushet suburb of the capital Asmara. Their group includes 12 women.
Sources with Open Doors USA say the Christians are being held at Police Station 5 in Asmara and are under pressure to recant their faith.
Since the beginning of the year, the religious atmosphere in Eritrea has deteriorated with authorities arresting at least 261 Christians.
Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported that the government of Eritrea continues to incarcerate prisoners under inhumane conditions.
Officials continue to deny access to organizations like The Red Cross to investigate the state of prisons.
“The Church in Eritrea is deeply saddened by the continued scrutiny and distrust from the government and highly appreciates the prayers of our brothers and sisters around the globe,” commented an Open Doors source who remains anonymous for security reasons.
Eritrea is ranked 10th out of 50 countries for extreme persecution of Christians on Open Doors’ 2013 World Watch List.
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