Religious rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) with Website www.persecution.org told BosNewsLife that ten days after Congressman Donald Payne and his group left Eritrea "the Patriarch was returned to his residence," surrounded by security agents.
ICC said Antonios was briefly moved to "an undisclosed location" to ensure he would not meet the Congressman. Antonios has been under house arrest Eritrea’s government removed him from office in 2005. He was replaced by a government-appointed patriarch after opposing what he saw as "the government’s interference" in the his church’s affairs.
However the delegation was reportedly told by religious leaders in Eritrea that there "is freedom of religion in the country and that Muslims and Christians co-existed peacefully" for centuries. ICC suggested it was surprised about these statements, saying former Patriarch Antonios "has to be accompanied by security agents."
NO PHONE
In addition, it said, "a sentry is placed outside the house 24 hours a day. The Patriarch seldom receives visitors, even relatives, and has no telephone service." The 80-year-old church leader also suffers from diabetes, but authorities allegedly deny him medical attention.
Besides the patriarch, the Eritrean government has jailed some 2,000 Christians, many of them evangelicals, according to ICC and other sources. At least some of them are kept in metal shipping containers and "routinely tortured and several prisoners "died or lost their sight or were paralyzed," as a result of mistreatment, the group added.
Due to the apparent severity of persecution, several churches have gone underground while many Christians have fled Eritrea. ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Darara Gubo, said "The Eritrean government should release all Christians who are imprisoned for their faith in Christ and ensure freedom of religion in the country." The ICC has urged the international community to pressure Eritrea top release the Christians, who it says, are "are imprisoned due to their refusal to renounce their faith in Christ Jesus."
Eritrea’s government has consistently denied human rights abuses.
