Eritrean Christian Singer Held in Container Released After Two Years

Eritrean gospel singer Helen Berhane has been released from a steel shipping container, after being held in the desert for two years, for refusing to give up her religious activities.

Her leg was damaged from the beatings she received in detention and she recently had to receive hospital treatment. She is now said to be able to walk again, but only with the aid of a walking-stick.

Helen is described as in "good spirits" despite all she has endured. Dr Berhane Ashmelash, the Director of Release Eritrea, said he was "extremely relieved to hear that Helen has finally been released from prison".

Helen's ordeal awareness has been raised by Release International and other Christian human rights organisations. Almost 2,000 other Christians are held in detention.

Some 110,000 people have signed a petition calling on Eritrea to free Christians imprisoned for their faith. Some, like Helen, have been locked away in metal shipping containers in the searing heat of the desert.

Andy Dipper, the Chief Executive of Release International added: "It seems that Eritrea is finally waking up to the international concern about the way it is treating its Christians. It must stop treating these believers as political dissidents and respect their human rights. While Helen has been released, up to 150 more Christians have been taken into detention."

According to agency reports, Eritrea has arrested a further 150 Christians in a large-scale clampdown in the past week. Compass Direct reports the detainees include nursing mothers who were forced to leave their infants behind.

Just two weeks ago, it was reported that Eritrea had tortured two Christians to death after arresting them for holding a religious service in a private house.

Almost 2,000 Christians have now been locked away by the military regime, which mistakenly associates evangelical Christianity with political dissent. Eritrea has closed evangelical churches and is keeping known Christians under close surveillance. Many have been ordered to sign a letter recanting their faith.

Until 2002 there was relative religious freedom in Eritrea. But in May that year the Government announced the immediate closure of all churches other than Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran. Since then, they have arrested hundreds of evangelical Christians for practising what officials are calling 'a new religion'.

Eritrean Christians who fled to a refugee camp in neighbouring Ethiopia have described being beaten and tortured. Some had been sentenced to hard labour or held underground in total darkness for days. Some refugees were forced to leave their wives and children behind.