Eritrea: 20 years and counting - the exceptional persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Since becoming an independent country in 1993, my country consistently and routinely harasses, imprisons, and tortures Jehovah’s Witnesses.

To date, at least 73 Jehovah's Witnesses are in Eritrean prisons suffering harrowing conditions [1]. None have been charged or sentenced. Jehovah’s Witnesses were stripped of their citizenship and basic civil rights by presidential decree in October of 1994. However there is absolutely no legal framework how the government handles religious prisoners.

Three young men; Isaac, Negede and Paulos; were 18 and 21 year old when they were arrested in September 24, 1994. They are now in their late 30's--early 40's and still in prison.

I recently spoke with an ex-prisoner that spent a couple of years in Sawa prison with Jehovah’s Witnesses (including Isaac, Negede and Paulos). He told me how Jehovah’s Witnesses are subjected to special torture while in prison in order to force them to convert. Most Jehovah’s Witnesses are imprisoned for conscientiously objecting to military service. My friend, the ex-prisoner, was keen to mention that in a country like Eritrea where being a citizen and being a soldier are all the same, Jehovah’s Witnesses often don’t even get sufficient support and solidarity from fellow prisoners and society at large.

Every Eritrean should be outraged when innocent members of our society are subjected to inhumane torture and indefinitely imprisoned. It is our responsibility, as human beings and as Eritreans to at least stand in solidarity and be vocal in denouncing the atrocities that are being committed in our home country.

I would like to invite you to please consider publicly showing your stand and bringing to light the suffering and the exceptional persecution Jehovah’s Witnesses in Eritrea by signing the pledge I have made available online here (https://www.causes.com/campaigns/82858-show-solidarity-with-persecuted-jehovahs-witnesses-eritrea).

Figure 1 Left to right: Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam; in-chains for their faith since September 24 1994. Photo taken sometime 1996 (photo from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jehovahs-Witnesses-in-Sawa-Prison-Camp-in-Eritrea)

References

[1] http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/eritrea/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison/

List of Jehovah’s Witnesses currently in prison in Eritrea. None have been charged or sentenced

	Name	Gender	Age	Imprisoned since	Years in Prison	Age arrested	Location (current)	Reason
1	Paulos Eyassu	M	41	24-Sep-94	20	21	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
2	Isaac Mogos	M	38	24-Sep-94	20	18	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
3	Negede Teklemariam	M	38	24-Sep-94	20	18	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
4	Aron Abraha	M	38	9-May-01	13	25	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
5	Mussie Fessehaye	M	40	Jun-03	11	29	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
6	Ambakom Tsegezab	M	36	Feb-04	10	26	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
7	Bemnet Fessehaye	M	41	Feb-05	9	32	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
8	Henok Ghebru	M	28	Feb-05	9	19	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
9	Worede Kiros	M	55	4-May-05	9	46	Sawa Camp	Religious activity
10	Yonathan Yonas	M	26	12-Nov-05	9	17	Sawa Camp	Religious activity
11	Kibreab Fessehaye	M	34	27-Dec-05	9	25	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
12	Bereket Abraha Oqbagabir	M	44	1-Jan-06	8	36	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
13	Yosief Fessehaye	M	23	2007	7	16	Sawa Camp	Conscientious objection
14	Mogos Gebremeskel	M	66	3-Jul-08	6	60	Adi-Abieto Prison	Unknown
15	Bereket Abraha	M	65	8-Jul-08	6	59	Meitir Camp	Unknown
16	Ermias Ashgedom	M	22	11-Jul-08	6	16	Meitir Camp	Unknown
17	Habtemichael Mekonen	M	71	17-Jul-08	6	65	Meitir Camp	Unknown
18	Tareke Tesfamariam	M	61	4-Aug-08	6	55	Meitir Camp	Unknown
19	Tesfai Teklemariam	M	59	5-Aug-08	6	53	Meitir Camp	Unknown
20	Goitom Aradom	M	68	8-Aug-08	6	62	Meitir Camp	Unknown
21	Habtemichael Tesfamariam	M	64	8-Aug-08	6	58	Meitir Camp	Unknown
22	Tewoldemedhin Habtezion	M	53	9-Aug-08	6	47	Meitir Camp	Unknown
23	Yoek Tsegezab	M	36	26-Aug-08	6	30	Meitir Camp	Conscientious objection
24	Nehemiah Hagos	M	26	26-Aug-08	6	20	Meitir Camp	Conscientious objection
25	Teferi Beyene	M	71	23-Sep-08	6	65	Meitir Camp	Unknown
26	Beyene Abraham	M	60	23-Oct-08	6	54	Meitir Camp	Unknown
27	Asfaha Haile	M	78	2-Dec-08	6	72	Meitir Camp	Unknown
28	Semere Negussega	M	75	22-Dec-08	6	69	Meitir Camp	Unknown
29	Muse Paulos	M	67	23-Dec-08	6	61	Meitir Camp	Unknown
30	Tsehaye Leghesse	M	73	23-Dec-08	6	67	Meitir Camp	Unknown
31	Tsegezeab Tesfazghi	M	63	23-Dec-08	6	57	Meitir Camp	Unknown
32	Tsehaye Tesfamariam	M	71	5-Jan-09	5	66	Meitir Camp	Unknown
33	Yoab Tecle	M	61	23-Apr-09	5	56	Meitir Camp	Rearrested
34	Samuel Ghirmay	M	30	Mar-09	5	25	Meitir Camp	Conscientious objection
35	Teklu Gebrehiwot	M	37	28-Jun-09	5	32	Meitir Camp	Religious meeting
36	Isaias Afeworki	M	27	28-Jun-09	5	22	Meitir Camp	Religious meeting
37	Milen	F	22	28-Jun-09	5	17	Meitir Camp	Religious meeting
38	Faiza Seid	F	27	28-Jun-09	5	22	Meitir Camp	Religious meeting
39	Yodit Mekonnen	F	30	28-Jun-09	5	25	Keren Police Station, Keren	Religious meeting
40	Tesfazion Gebremichael	M	70	20-Jul-11	3	67	5th Police Station, Asmara	Unknown
41	Hagos Woldemichael	M	60	21-Apr-12	2	58	Meitir Camp	Religious activity
42	Araia Ghebremariam	M	58	21-Apr-12	2	56	Meitir Camp	Religious activity
43	Tsegabirhan Berhe	M	49	21-Apr-12	2	47	Meitir Camp	Religious activity
44	Daniel Meharizghi	M	35	21-Apr-12	2	33	Meitir Camp	Religious activity
45	Amharai Osman	M		21-Apr-12	2		Meitir Camp	Religious activity
46	Yoseph Tesfamariam	M	48	21-Apr-12	2	46	Meitir Camp	Religious activity
47	Wogahta Dawit	F		4-Jul-13	1		6th Police Station, Asmara	Religious activity
48	Finan Kidane	F		4-Jul-13	1		6th Police Station, Asmara	Religious activity
49	Gebru Berhane	M		14-Apr-14			3rd Police Station, Asmara	Religious meeting
50	Tekle Gebrehiwot	M		14-Apr-14			3rd Police Station, Asmara	Religious meeting
51	Tesfai Kiflai	M		14-Apr-14			5th Police Station, Asmara	Religious meeting
52	Tirhas Mebrahtu	F		14-Apr-14			5th Police Station, Asmara	Religious meeting
53	Sinit Kibron	F	13	14-Apr-14		13	5th Police Station, Asmara	Religious meeting
54	Thomas Tesfagabir	M		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
55	Gebremedhin Gashazghi	M		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
56	Tesfai Negash	M		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
57	Mordochai Estifanos	M		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
58	Mehari Tewolde	M		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
59	Negash	M		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
60	Michael Gashazghi	M		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
61	Liya Hidru	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
62	Nigisti Asfaha	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
63	Alganesh Amare	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
64	Wintana Shiwaseged	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
65	Rahwa Taddesse	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
66	Mikaal Taddesse	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
67	Emnet Woldai	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
68	Salem Ghebrehiwot	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
69	Nebiat Afeworki	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
70	Senait Berhane	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
71	Mihret Yemane	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
72	Eden Ghebreyonas	F		27-Apr-14				Religious meeting
73	Eliab	M	2	27-Apr-14		2		Religious meeting

Data from http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/eritrea/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison/ (Retrieved on September 2014)

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Eritrea: 20 years and counting - the exceptional persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses

List of Jehovah’s Witnesses currently in prison in Eritrea. None have been charged or sentenced