London Protests Against Eritrea Persecution

A service was recently held in London to protest against the treatment of the head of the Eritrean Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Antonious, the leader of two million orthodox believers and a high-profile prisoner of conscience, was removed from his position earlier this year after criticising the Eritrean Government for interference in church activities.

Amnesty International says Eritrea displays one of the most extreme forms of religious persecution in the world.

The meeting heard that this was only the latest example of religious repression.

The patriarch of the Orthodox Church, to which most Eritrean Christians belong, has been removed from his post and imprisoned after objecting to Eritrean government attempts to stop a bible-reading group.

The head of the British Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Seraphim, said he was 'very worried' about the leader's health, according to the BBC.

"He's 79. He is known to have diabetes. And he's been kept in a darkened room in his residence and he complained on one occasion he was unable to even read his Bible," he said.

Eritrea has a history of considerable religious tolerance between its Muslim and Christian communities, but the present government comes from a Marxist-Leninist tradition.

The church will now take the issue of Patriarch Antonios to the British Government.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Release Eritrea and Christian Concern for Freedom of Conscience coordinated a protest outside the Eritrean Embassy in May, calling for an end to the continued detention of Christians and other prisoners in Eritrea.

Around 2,000 Christians are imprisoned without charge or trial for their faith in Eritrea, with many of them facing severe mistreatment, including being held in solitary confinement in metal shipping containers in the desert.