Christians make up about 50% of the population of Eritrea, but are still subject to persecution. Most Christians in Eritrea are members of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church, which separated from Holy Orthodoxy over the definition of the divine and human natures of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451.
For previous ChristianPersecution.com coverage of the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, see here.
“103 Christian College Students Imprisoned in Eritrea,” International Christian Concern, April 25, 2023:
04/25/2023 Eritrea (International Christian Concern) – Earlier this month, Eritrean police raided a group of Christian college students who had gathered to worship and record video clips for social media.
Release International reported that 103 Christians, mainly students, were arrested in the crackdown. The raid took place in the capital, Asmara, and those arrested were taken to Mai Serwa prison.
There are now more than 500 Christian prisoners detained indefinitely without trial in Eritrea. The prison where the students were taken, Mai Serwa, is notorious for its harsh conditions, overcrowding, and poor treatment of inmates. Many prisoners there were imprisoned for political reasons.
Known as the worst governmental violator of religious freedom in Africa, Eritrea has long operated as a pariah state for its blatant disregard for human rights. Though it occasionally releases prisoners of conscience, it is known to keep many Christians and other religious minorities in abysmal conditions. Survivors of Eritrea’s several prison camps report the worst abuse imaginable, including severe torture and grossly inhumane living quarters.
In 2021, the European Union sanctioned Eritrea for its “serious human rights violations, in particular arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances of persons and torture committed by its agents.”…
