16 Evangelicals Arrested for Watching Christian Video in Eritrea as US Delays Sanction

Tolerance to countries which have a poor record of religious freedom violations has been criticised as the policy to deal with the crisis. Eritrea, which was identified by the US as one of the "countries of particular concern" (CPC) regarding religious freedom, has continued its persecution on evangelical Christians as the US announced a delay to the deadline before sanctions would be imposed on violators of the International Religious Freedom Act on 16th March.

According to Compass Direct, a news agency for persecuted Christians worldwide, Eritrean security police arrested 16 Protestants of Kale Hiwot Church last Sunday in a church member’s home in the town of Adi-Kibe. The group of evangelical Christians were watching a Christian video together without performing any worship or preaching when they were arrested, they were then put under custody at the local police station.

Till now, two older women in the group were released after paying heavy fines on Monday while the others have remained in jail at Adi-Kibe police station even though no official charge has been filed against them, Compass Direct reported.

Eritrea has become a hot spot for human rights concern groups around the world because of the escalating actions of its government against Protestants and evangelicals. On 15th September 2004, it became one of the three new countries added to the US State Department’s list of "countries of particular concern" along with Vietnam and Saudi Arabia. The three countries were then given a six-month deadline to demonstrate its commitment to tolerance of all religions or face statutory sanctions.

Compass Direct said that Eritrea has denied the government-instituted crackdown against members of independent Protestant churches over the past three years.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said according to reliable reports, a Task Force has been set up by the Eritrean government in an attempt to devastate all Pentecostal and Evangelical Christians by the end of 2005. Eritrea’s four recognised "official" religions are Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran and Islam. All worship and religious gatherings out of these four organisations are declared illegal. In May 2002 the Eritrean government ordered the closure of all independent Protestant churches.

During the first ten weeks of 2005, Compass Direct reported that a total of 230 Christians were subjected to police arrest and imprisonment in 10 separate incidents confirmed in Asmara, Barentu, Adi-Tekelzan, Keren, and now in Adi-Kibe.

The US State department however have asked the American Congress for more time to communicate with representatives over how to end religious persecution and human rights offences in the region, and therefore delayed the sanctions on Eritrea which was supposed to be imposed on 15th March.

State spokesperson, Adam Ereli said, "We made some important progress. We think that with a little bit more time we can take care of some of the issues that were problematic for us ... we expect decisions to be finalised and announced in the next few weeks."

Worries have arisen among human rights groups since this decision was made and they are urging the world’s leading political powers to take immediate action against religious freedom violators.