The crackdown on Christians has continued in June 2019 with another church raid, more arrests of Christians, including five Orthodox priests, and the closure of health centres run by the Catholic Church.
The annual protest vigil in support of religious freedom was held outside the Eritrean Embassy in London.
The arrests of men, women and children took place in a private courtyard in the capital city, Asmara.
Dr Berhane Asmelash (Director of Release Eritrea) speaks about the current situation for Christians
At least five Pentecostal Christians have been arrested and several others have gone into hiding after they went to the airport to welcome a visiting Ethiopian preacher.
Eritrean Christians rejoice at these positive developments but still wait for freedom to come and prison doors to open.
A minute’s silence was held during the annual vigil on behalf of Christian prisoners at the Eritrean Embassy in London – to remember prisoners of conscience who died during the past year as well as two long-term supporters of Eritrean Christian prisoners.
Eritrean police arrested 32 Christians in Asmara in March, including a newlywed couple and ten of their guests.
Fikadu Debesay, who was detained in May during raids on evangelical Christians, has died in prison.
Patriarch Antonios, the 90-year-old legitimate patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, participated in a service at St Mary’s Cathedral in Asmara on Sunday 16 July – his first public appearance in over a decade.
