Eritrean refugees face imminent repatriation from Egypt and high risk of persecution on return

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) www.csw.org.uk  says that while all the refugees risk severe persecution if returned to Eritrea, ten of them occupied key positions within the Eritrean regime before they fled the country, and their lives would be in extreme danger should they be returned.

According to Agenzia Habeshia, some of the men in the group were badly beaten about a week ago, and have now received medical attention, CSW said.

In a media update, CSW says the continuing exodus of Eritrean citizens from their country, conservatively estimated at 1,000 people per month, is testament to the on-going human rights crisis in the country.

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Eritrea raising money in Canada, financing terrorists to attack Canada

The government of Eritrea, which the United Nations accuses of supplying a long list of armed groups including the al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabab, has been raising money in Canada by taxing Eritrean-Canadians, interviews and documents show.

The 2% “diaspora tax” is collected by the Consulate General of Eritrea in Toronto and helps explain how one of the world’s least developed countries raises revenues as it trains, arms and finances rebels from Sudan to Somalia.In interviews, Eritrean-Canadians told of being pressured to give 2% of their earnings to Eritrean diplomats and agents in Canada. They showed receipts and forms that verify the tax collection scheme is taking place.

“Two per cent tax form,” reads a document on the letterhead of the downtown Toronto consulate. There are spaces on the form for reporting monthly and annual income going back to 1992, the first full year of Eritrea’s independence. 

A separate column is labeled “payment of 2% tax” and another is for “donations to national defence against Ethiopian invasion.” The form was obtained from the consulate last week, indicating the collection is still going on. 

That is extortion,” said Aaron Berhane, a journalist who fled Eritrea and now lives in Toronto. He said Eritrea gets about a third of its revenues by milking the diaspora. “They are forced to pay that tax.” 

While several countries levy fees on their nationals abroad, Eritrea is unique because it has been widely accused of distributing weapons and money to Al-Shabab — which last weekend released an audiotape by a suicide bomber that called for terrorist attacks in Canada and “anywhere you find kuffar [infidels].”   

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Eritrea accused of supplying arms by air and sea to the Shebab rebels

Kenya said Wednesday that Somali Islamist rebels had received a third planeload of armaments, as its forces prepare to push forward against the Al-Qaeda-linked militants in the war-torn nation.

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Riyadh deports a pastor to Eritrea

ASIANEWS

Eyob Mussie, an Eritrean refugee, was arrested on 12 February in Jeddah on charges of Christian proselytising. A court had decided to repatriate him forcibly. An appeal has been made to find a third country for the clergyman.

Mussie was arrested on 12 February in front of a mosque in Jeddah, the kingdom’s second largest city. He had gone there to talk to Muslims about Christianity. He was charged with proselytising, which in Saudi Arabia can

Saudi authorities initially viewed Eyob as a mental case. A medical test found instead that he was fit to stand trial. He was eventually moved to Briman Prison, a high security prison. However, instead of sentencing to death, the authorities decided to send him back to Eritrea.

In Eritrea, some 3,000 Christians are currently in prison without charges. Some have been held in isolation for years.

The probability that Eyob Mussie would receive the same treatment, including the possibility of the death penalty is very high.

For this motive, Andrew Johnston, director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, appealed to the Saudi government to “consider alternative countries of asylum” for the clergyman.

Eritrean Christian faces death penalty in Saudi Arabia

BARNABASFUND

An Eritrean Christian is facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia after being arrested for sharing his faith with Muslims.

Mussie Eyob was detained by the authorities at a mosque in Saudi's second largest city, Jeddah, on 12 February. He had gone there to meet and talk with local Muslims after speaking about Christianity at the Eritrean Embassy for three days. Eyob was arrested for preaching to Muslims, an offence that carries the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

Eyob, who was initially assumed to have mental health problems, was examined by doctors, who confirmed that he is fit for trial and sentencing. He was then transferred to the notorious high-security Briman Prison. His family are very concerned for his welfare there.

They visited Eyob on 20 March and found that he had lost weight, though he was in relatively good spirits. He said that he is ready to die for his faith in Christ.

Eyob, who committed to follow Christ just over two years ago, felt compelled to share his faith with local Muslims, despite the danger.

Saudi Arabia is a strictly Islamic country that follows an extreme and puritanical version of Islam, Wahhabism. The country claims that the Quran is its constitution and that all its laws and regulations are promulgated in line with sharia, which prescribes the death penalty for converts from Islam. Consequently most converts keep their faith secret.

All forms of public religious activities other than those consistent with the government's own interpretation of Sunni Islam are banned. The government has stated that expatriate Christians, of whom there are many in Saudi Arabia, are free to worship in private. But the religious police (mutawaah) sometimes raid private worship services.

The country has one of the highest rates of executions in the world. In late 2009, Amnesty International denounced the presence of at least 141 people on death row in Saudi Arabia, including 104 foreign nationals.

Eritrea refugees detained In Sinai desert

BOSNEWSLIFE

There was international concern Friday, November 26, over the situation of 80 Eritrean refugees who rights activists said have been held hostage by people smugglers on the Egypt-Israel border for about a month.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a religious rights group, cited investigators as saying that smugglers are demanding payment of $8,000 per refugee before releasing them.

It was believed there were Christians among the refugees. Eritrean officials have arrested thousands of Christians, holding them inside metal shipping containers, barracks and underground dungeons where at least several have died from torture and other harsh conditions, church groups and rights activists say.

Most of them are believed to be evangelical Christians as Eritrea only recognizes four religious groups including Islam, the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Evangelical Church of Eritrea. However, even members of recognized religions haven't escaped persecution, according to church observers.

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The refugees hold up at the Egypt-Israel border are among 600 Eritrean, Ethiopian, Somali and Sudanese nationals being held "in degrading conditions in the Sinai desert," CSW said.

"They are being threatened, restrained with chains around their ankles, and at one stage were denied water to clean themselves for 20 days." The refugees reportedly set off from Tripoli in Libya for Israel, having paid $2,000 to people smugglers.

The exploitation of asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa by people traffickers is an ongoing problem, CSW said. In August, the deaths of six Eritreans on the Egypt-Israel border were reported, four of whom were killed in a dispute with people smugglers.

"In June, ten African refugees, including Eritreans, were reportedly killed by human smugglers in Sinai after they had been held for more than two months in secret underground locations," CSW added. The smugglers are allegedly using extreme methods of torture, including electric shocks, to force the victims make the illegal payments.

INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said it was "unacceptable that a group of people who are entitled to protection under international law are being treated in this manner. It is also difficult to comprehend how these people smugglers are able to continue holding such a large number of people hostage for such a lengthy period of time, and with seeming impunity."

CSW said Egypt's government should intervene as it is currently chairing the United Nations refugee agency's governing body and a signatory to UN and African refugee conventions.

"The Egyptian government has a duty to end this situation and bring Egypt’s treatment of refugees into line with international norms by ensuring that these and other refugees are afforded full protection and assistance," Johnston told BosNewsLife.

There was no immediate response from Egyptian officials.

Special Prayer Organized in NY for Eritrea’s Best-Known Prisoner of Conscience

The Eritrean Orthodox Church – Archdiocese of North America – is organizing a special prayer for His Holiness Abune Antonios, Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church. Abune Antonios remains under the most stringent house arrest since January 2006. The event will take place in a special Holy Liturgy on Saturday, July 24, 2010 at Archangels Greek Orthodox Church, 1527 Bedford Street Stamford, CT- 06905

According to sources in the archdiocese, the special prayer will be offered for the canonically legitimate patriarch and the other church fathers that have remained in prison for the past six years without being charged with any criminal offenses. No one knows the whereabouts of the patriarch and the thousands of prisoners of conscience in Eritrea, as they have never been visited by either the International Red Cross or family members.

The special prayer will be attended by His Eminence Bishop Seraphim, Metropolitan of the British Orthodox Church.  Metropolitan Seraphim has been an unwavering champion of Patriarch Antonios’ cause and that of all the other persecuted Christians in Eritrea. In addition, H. G. Bishop Mekarios, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Archdiocese of North America and that of the Eritrean Orthodox Church (North America Archdiocese), as well as H.G. Bishop David, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Archdiocese of North America, will be present. Many Eritrean priests, deacons and laity from across North America are expected to take part in this special prayer.

For details of the event, visit the website of the diocese: www.tewahdo.org

Prayer initiative for the suffering Christian Eritreans

The Eritrean Paltalk community has started a 24-hour prayer chain for Eritrea in response to the suffering of Eritreans both inside the country and in countries like Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and Israel, where they live as refugees.

The prayer chain began on 1 July and will run for three months until 30 September. Poverty and food shortages, as well as an extremely repressive government, mean that many Eritreans flee the country to seek refuge elsewhere. Among them are Eritreans who have been denied the right to freedom of religion. Many Christians are amongst the estimated 20,000 people currently in detention, where many are slowly dying as a result of the harsh prison conditions. The coordinators of the prayer initiative are inviting people worldwide to join them by praying for at least one hour per dayfor an end to the suffering of the Eritrean people.

Eritrean refugees in Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and Israel are living in conditions of extreme suffering, and many are feeling increasingly hopeless. Countries like Libya are known to facilitate “selective returns” of escapees who are of special interest to the Eritrean regime, while on its border, Israel practices the policy of “hot returns” of refugees to Egypt, where the authorities regularly shoot refugees who attempt to cross into Israel. Once returned to Eritrea, they are subject to imprisonment, mistreatment, and possibly even death.

Tedros Abraham, an Eritrean journalist and former prisoner, said, “As Christians we sincerely believe that it’s only God who can heal the broken heart of our people and bring a spiritual revival to our land. We are too weak to change the situation alone, but through our prayer to God indeed we can change things for good if we are united in crying to God for mercy on his people. Therefore we cordially invite all concerned people inside and abroad to join us in this prayer for at least one hour per day. “

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is very concerned about the plight of 230 refugees in Libya, who were moved earlier this week from Misrata prison to Sabha detention camp on the border of the Sahara desert, where they are being held in a dark, single prison cell with little food and water. They have endured beatings overnight, and many have sustained injuries including fractures.

CSW’s National Director Stuart Windsor said, ”It is a privilege to stand in prayer and solidarity with the Eritrean people, and especially with Eritrean refugees, who in many cases, are subjected to the most appalling treatment by countries that have an international legal duty to assist them. We commend this new prayer initiative and invite all who can to join in prayer for the Eritrean people”

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Egyptians shoot Eritrean migrant trying to enter Israel

Egyptian border guards have shot dead a woman as she tried to cross the border illegally from Egypt into Israel.

The woman, who was Eritrean, had ignored orders to stop and was shot in the stomach and leg, officials said.

At least three other people, all Eritrean, were detained, including a child aged four.

Human rights activists have criticised Egyptian soldiers for killing dozens of African migrants at the border in the past two years.

The woman, 38, was shot close to the Egypt-Israeli border in central Sinai.
The death brings to 19 the number of African migrants killed this year while attempting the crossing into Israel, according to the AFP news agency.

At least 17 migrants were killed at the Egypt-Israel border in 2009. Egyptian police claim they are trying to control people-trafficking.

Standing in Solidarity with Eritrean/Ethiopian Christians

In London, UK, the Metropolitan of Glastonbury and Head of the British Orthodox Church, Abba Seraphim will join a protest vigil to “Stand in Solidarity with Eritrean Christians” outside the Eritrean Embassy between 3-4 pm on Thursday, 3 June 2010. The vigil has been organized by a number of Christian Human Rights’ organizations: Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Release Eritrea, Church in Chains, Release International and Open Doors. At a similar gathering in May 2008 Abba Seraphim handed in a petition at the Embassy calling for the restoration of His Holiness Abune Antonios, the canonical Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church and in June 2007 organized an Ecumenical Prayer Service in London for Abune Antonios. The British Orthodox Church also sponsors a website calling for the Patriarch’s restoration: http://www.abuneantonios.com/

The Eritrean Embassy is at 96 White Lion Streert, London, N1 9PF (near the Angel tube).

Remember the prisoners - Video about Eritrean Orthodox Christians persecution


http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=JP&hl=ja&v=78gVa8QCl4Y

Eritrean Orthodox Churches Closing Their Doors at an Alarming Rate

ICFC has learned that since the Eritrean Government revoked the exemption of all Orthodox clergy (priests, deacons and monks) from military service and ordered their conscription in July 2005, over 1400 known Orthodox priests and deacons have been forced into the military. The research unit of ICFC, in cooperation with persons who are well placed to have access to classified information, has undertaken a study to document efforts by the government to destroy the Eritrean Orthodox Church. The following is a preliminary report on an ongoing and thorough investigation.

In 1997 a letter was circulated within the office of the Ministry of Local Government - at the time headed by Mr. Mahmud Ahmed Sherifo who has been in prison since September 2001 and presumed dead. The letter contained a decision for the exemption of all clerics from serving in the military. By the Beginning of 1999, all clergy were issued identification cards exempting them from the country’s obligatory military service.

But by 2002, the government’s attitude towards religion in general took a decisive turn for the worst. Just prior to the proclamation outlawing many evangelical churches and other sects on May 17, 2002, the government began the process of taking over (nationalizing) the country’s oldest and most influential institution – the Orthodox Church. The singular event that signaled this ominous development was the installation by the government of a political appointee, Mr. Yoftahe Dimetros, as the General Administrator of the Church. With this act, the government essentially put the Synod of the Church under its full control. Yoftahe became the one person responsible for the implementation of the government’s total control of the church.

The one individual who took an uncompromising stand against all encroachments by the government in the affairs of the Orthodox Church was its patriarch, H. H. Abune Antonios. In order to weaken the Patriarch’s opposition, however, the government orchestrated the arrest of all the leading clergy in the Orthodox Church and defrocking scores of others, leaving the Pontiff isolated.

Then, a circular letter, dated July 4, 2005, was issued by the Religious Affairs Department of the Ministry of Local Government. This crudely written circular officially revoked the exemption of all clergy from military service, and ordered all able-bodied priests, deacons and monks within a wide-range age group to report for military service.

By the end of 2005, having completely weakened the authority of the Patriarch through the arrest and defrocking of a large number of capable clergy, and having brow-beaten all the members of the Synod into submission, the government then moved against the person of H.H. Antonios himself by announcing his “removal from all administrative duties.” In January 2006, he was put under house arrest. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

The past four years have seen the reducing of the Eritrean Orthodox Church to mere arm of the Department of Religious Affairs. The historical artifacts and ancient manuscripts of the Church were all declared as “the property of the Eritrean people”, and have been removed from churches and monasteries. The finances of the church also fell under the control of the Department of Religious Affairs. According to associates of ICFC, the forcing of over 1400 priests and deacons into the army has had deleterious effects on the future of the Eritrean Orthodox Church. Others chose to flee the country than joining the military. The number of those who fled is in the hundreds.

While many of the churches in the larger cities are still able to continue their ministry, numerous Orthodox Churches in rural Eritrea are devastated by the severe shortage of clergies resulting from the above policy. According to the result of ICFC’s research, numerous examples can be cited of churches that have closed their doors as a result of the government’s pernicious and deliberate plans to depriving the Orthodox Church of priests.

The following are just a few examples of churches that have closed their doors: Medhane Alem (The Savior of the World) Orthodox Church in Keru near Teseney, St. George Orthodox Church in Aligider, Gelila Mariam Orthodox Church in Shambuko, Medhane Alem Demas Orthodox Church near Ginda’E, St. Michael MeHrad Lam near Qnafna, an Orthodox Church in Adi-Itay in the area of Mendefera, and St. Gabriel Egela Orthodox Church near Teseney.

What makes the policy of the government even more dangerous for the future of the Eritrean Orthodox Church are the government’s efforts to completely deprive the institution of future priests by conscripting ALL deacons and priests younger than age fifty into an interminable military service. It is the young deacons who traditionally become future priests. The calculus of the government’s policy, therefore, is very simple: no deacons = no priests = no churches.

If this dangerous policy is not reversed immediately, and the disruptive blow that has been inflicted on the church is rectified, one ICFC researcher who participated in the study concludes that more than half of the 1500 Eritrean Orthodox churches in the country will be closed permanently within just two decades. This is an immense demographic catastrophe waiting to happen. Many things can be said about the ruinous ramifications of the government’s policies for the future of the country. But the destructive policy of the Eritrean government against the church will leave behind one of the most insidious and catastrophic legacies, namely, the ruining of the Eritrean Orthodox Church.

Orthodox Christianity came to Eritrea in the early 4th century. Approximately fifty percent of the country’s population is Christian. Orthodox believers are estimated to represent ninety-two percent of Eritrea’s total Christian population.

ICFC denounces the regime’s pernicious designs to bring about the EOC’s extinction - this time through wholesale conscription of its clergy in the army and in denying the Church from continuing its tradition of priests-in-apprentice to develop its future clergy. This was the only way the EOC has assured itself its continuity for over one and a half millennium.


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Eritrea Arrests 30 Evangelical Christian Women

Security forces on Dec. 5 rounded up a group of mostly elderly women praying together at a house and took them to a police station in Asmara, the capital city, according to International Christian Concern.

The women are mostly members of the Faith Mission Church, an evangelical church with a Methodist background. The church has an over 50-year history in Eritrea but became a target of government crackdown after a law requiring churches to register with officials was adopted in 2002.

It is impossible for the Faith Mission Church to register, however, because the government only allows three Christian denominations to legally exist: the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Evangelical Church of Eritrea.

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