According to BBC News reporting on 12 April 2021, 36 prisoners belonging to Evangelical and Pentecostal denominations were
released on bail. Sources stated that 14 of the released prisoners had been in detention for the past four years on Dahlak island in the Red Sea. Twenty-two others, arrested at the end of March, were also freed on bail. As reported by Barnabas Fund on 13 April 2021: "Since September 2020, at least 160 Christians have been
released from Eritrean prisons, including more than‚ 70 freed from three jails‚ in January 2021".
World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Eritrea remains one of the worst countries for the harsh treatment of Christians, in particular of those belonging to unregistered churches. Since the introduction of religious registration policies in 2002, only three Christian denominations are legally permitted - Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran. Since 2020, the government began releasing arrested Christians, raising hopes that it was relaxing its repressive policies. However, recent reports of further arrests have dampened such hopes. Especially Pentecostal and Evangelical Christians continue to be regarded as "˜instruments of foreign governments". While the reason for the latest releases is not known, local sources think it likely that the ex-prisoners will be conscripted into the army for military service."
