By BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent Eric Leijenaar with reporting by BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos
ASMARA, ERITREA (BosNewsLife)– A Christian man has died in one of Eritrea’s notorious military prison camps, the ninth believer known to have perished in detention in the African nation, a Christian aid and advocacy group told BosNewsLife.
In a statement seen Wednesday, July 29, Netherlands-based Open Doors said Yemane Kahasay Andom, 43, died because of torture and a lack of medical care in the Mitire military prison camp.
“For two weeks Andom was mistreated and tortured,” Open Doors added. The group said the Christian was held in an underground isolation cell, apparently after refusing to sign a document renouncing his faith in Christ.
Authorities also refused him medical treatment for a serious form of Malaria, Christians explained. It was unclear Wednesday, July 29, whether Andom was married or which family members he leaves behind.
SECRETLY BURIED
Andom, who was detained for some eighteen months, was the third Christian believed to have died in the camp this year. Open Doors cited sources as saying that he was secretly buried within in the camp.
With the latest reported death, the death toll of imprisoned Eritrean Christian rose to at least nine, Open Doors said. Christians and several rights groups say there are some 2,800 Christians jailed under often horrific circumstances in several prisons facilities, including underground cells, containers and military prison camps.
Eritrea’s government has denied mass Christian detentions saying “no groups or persons are persecuted in Eritrea for their beliefs or religion.”
The Eritrean government in May 2002 outlawed all religious groups except Islam and the Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches. Eritrean Christians say the government of President Isaias Afwerki has stepped up its crackdown on churches it has outlawed. Eritrea has been included in the U.S. State Department’s latest list of “worst violators” of religious freedom.
Can you(who ever you are) also tell us a “news” WHO IS BORN IN ERITREA AS WELL? PLEASE
Please let’s save Bini.We remember the joyfull BINIYAM MOHAMMED the Addis Ababa Commercial College graduate dedicated to the development of Ethiopian business practices , who always spoke against the governments corruption practices. Even his father is a well respected car spare parts dealer who owns and operates AUTO NOVA SPARE PARTS near KIRKOS in ADDIS ABABA is a very down to earth gentleman who have spent most of his life around the world due to the illtreatment he recieved from the military governmenrt of Ethiopia as reliable sources put it. 2009 is the time to reunite Biniam with his father who is resideing in Addis ABABA.
IN TRUE CHRISTIANITY, THE BIRTH OF A NEW CHILD REPRESENTS GOD,
hence, it should of been treated as a GREAT NEWS FROM GOD, but sadly not in the eyes of todays “news” makers.
I hope all imported religion beleivers die.
The government here is an autocratic regime.I am Pentecostal Christian from Eritrea and our suffering has reached the climax.Please Christians all over the world pray for us and the international community hear the cry of the oppressed here.
Dehai
I feel for you. You will die before many of them. There is no such inported or local religion. To be a Christian was and is a moral issue. You are a criminal cadre.
No one can deny the situation in Eritrea ,because many young men and women are sent to prison for the reason of desertation form military and other religous issue.However,the government doent only target for particular groups, it is for general persecution either muslims or any kind of christian sect .I feel sorry the misunderstanding of foreign agency for the matter of faith ,half the population are christians but those they call them selves as the only christians like Pentecoste dont like reflect the exact circumstance what is happening. I am not opposing the deaths poor men in prison I just oppose the penetecostes’ discriminatory commonts and their hidden hypocrisy.
The government of Eritrea is trying just to make happy the arab muslims by making the arab language which is spoken only by 1% of the population(Rashaida) as a second official language and putting all this innocent christian citizens with hoping in return to find some dirty money from them.
I have also something to say to DEHAI you said that a YOU HOPE ALL IMPORTED RELIGION BELIEVERS WILL DIE , kkkk but do you relize that all of religions which are in Eritrea are imported from out side like Islam from the arabs,orthodox from greek,catholic from italy …so pls study the history before telling how foolish you are.