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Two more Eritrean Christians die in prison camp
by Scott Gilbreath ~ January 21st, 2009
Two more Christians incarcerated in Eritrea have reportedly died following torture. That brings to eight the total known to have perished in custody in recent years.
At least two detained Christians have died this month in Eritrea after a “long period of torture” in a notorious military prison camp, while the number of Christians jailed in the African nation because of their faith approaches 3,000, a well-informed Christian rights group said Wednesday, January 21.
Netherlands-based Open Doors, which has close contacts with reportedly persecuted Christians in Eritrea and around the world, said Mogos Hagos Kiflom, 37, and Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom, 42, died “most likely” at the beginning of January.
Another organisation monitoring persecution in Eritrea reports that authorities have targeted one particular evangelical denomination for “eradication”.
[T]he government of Eritrea has renewed its campaign of eradication against a particular evangelical church: Faith Missions. Also known as Faith Church of Christ, this church of a Methodist background has had presence in Eritrea since 1952. It operates many schools, orphanages and, until its NGO status was recently revoked, had been active in development projects.
Four people, including an 80-year-old man and his wife, have been in custody since last October after being arrested in a village with a Faith Missions school.
The US State Department lists Eritrea as one of eight Countries of Particular Concern for egregious violations of religious freedom.
Since May 2002, all churches except Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Lutheran have been illegal in Eritrea. It is believed that nearly 3000 Christians, mostly Pentecostal and charismatic, are presently jailed without charge and held in appalling conditions. Tens of thousands have fled the country to avoid persecution.
Even legal religions are subject to official harassment. The Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church and several priests are among the imprisoned.
The government denies all reports of religious persecution.
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January 22nd, 2009 at 08:55 PM
[...] APPARENTLY THEY BEAT THEMSELVES TO DEATH– Two more Eritrean Christians die in prison camp …. [...]