Eritrea’s crackdown continues against Christians unaffiliated with officially sanctioned groups. On March 17, authorities raided a private home and arrested nine family members who were reading the Bible and praying together. The father, named Kelete, is a lay leader in the Rhema Church in Asmara. Family members remain in prison. On February 23, 10 members of the Full Gospel Church in Asmara, meeting in a home, were arrested. All but one are imprisoned. In mid-February, authorities arrested 51 people from the Hallelujah Church in Asmara; 46 remain in detention. The government ordered all independent Protestant churches closed in May 2002.
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Related Elsewhere:
The BBC recently reported on Eritrea’s human rights abuses.
More Christianity Today articles on Eritrea include:
Protestants Face Police Crackdown | In four cities, security forces arrest 170 Protestant Christians. (May 16, 2003)
Eritrean Government Closes Churches | All Christian houses of worship are ordered shut without official explanation. (July 18, 2002)
