Eritrea: Christians re-arrested for their faith

According to Release International reporting on 20 September 2021, 15 Christians have been re-arrested and taken to the Mai Serwa maximum security prison in Asmara following raids on their homes. All had been previously imprisoned for their faith and had served between five and six years, but some had endured 16 years of incarceration until being freed in September 2020. They were re-arrested after the discovery of a list of Christian contacts. World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "The Eritrean government remains one of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world. Since the introduction of harsh religious registration policies in 2002, the government legally permits only three Christian denominations: Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran. Christians are arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned without trial, often enduring inhuman and brutal conditions. In 2020, the government had begun releasing arrested Christians, mainly as part of anti-COVID measures, raising hopes that it was relaxing its repressive policies and all Christians would be free to practice their faith. At least 196 prisoners were released. However, recent reports of further arrests have dampened such hopes. It is estimated that there are now some 160 Christian prisoners in Eritrea. It seems unlikely that the situation will improve in the short-term."