Saturday, March 21, 2009

Three Christians released in Eritrea

Finally some good news out of Eritrea!  The Dutch office of Open Doors is reporting that three men have recently been released from detention by the Eritrean authorities.  Eritrea is probably the most religiously restricted nation in Africa, with over 3,000 Christians presently in detention for no other crime than their religious faith.  None have ever come to trial or been charged with anything.

Two of the three released Christians were detained in Camp Mitire, a military concentration camp in the northeast of Eritrea.  According to Open Doors, this camp has been arranged especially for the detention of Christians. The condition of the two elderly men, both in their 80's, has not been made public. They were both arrested in November.  Conditions at Mitire are said to be deplorable with prisoners being detained underground or in shipping containers and denied adequate food and medical treatment.

The third man has been been detained for the past six months in a police station.

Thank God for the release of these three men.  Pray for their healing from this ordeal and pray for the thousands of other who continue to suffer horrendous persecution at the hands of their government.

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