closed down amid a crackdown on Christians in the African nation, a key human rights group said Thursday April 7. UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide said it had learned that the Head of the Eritrean government delegation at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) in Geneva made the announcement after "strong lobbying by the United Nations Liaison Director of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Dr Jonathan Gallagher."
The head of the Eritrean UN delegation, Amare Tekel, reportedly said that the registration process has been completed "and that the church would be operational once bureaucratic processes have been finalized."
The activities of the Adventist Church were suspended since 2002, when the Eritrean government ordered the closure of all churches not belonging to the Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran denominations, CSW said.
PERSEUCTION "CONTINUES"
However CSW alleged that Christian persecution continues in the country and that many churches are still forces to meet underground. "We are encouraged that the Adventist church has now gained official recognition from the Eritrean government, but this freedom to operate is not extended to several other Eritrean Christian groups," said CSW National Director.
"The government’s refusal to admit it has a problem with religious freedom when hundreds of Christians are in prison simply for practicing their faith shows there is still a long way to go," Windsor added.
Since 2002, members of unofficial churches have faced "harassment, mistreatment and indefinite detention at the hands of the Eritrean government," CSW said.
HUNDREDS DETAINED
Possibly 550 Christians are held in prisons and even metal containers because of their religious activities, including children and Christians caught worshipping during military service, claimed human rights watchdog Voice Of the Martyrs recently.
At least 240 have been arrested since the beginning of this year and most remain in custody, CSW added.
However President Isaias Afworki has denied the charges and reportedly said that several religious groups have been "duped by foreigners" who sought to "distract from the unity of the Eritrean people and distort the true meaning of religion."
PRIESTS ATTACKED
Yet members of permitted churches have reportedly also experienced difficulties. "Three Orthodox priests from the Medhanie Alem church in Asmara have been detained without charge since November 2004," CSW claimed.
Also "Demoz Afwerki, vice manager of the Housing and Commerce Bank of Eritrea [and] an active member of the Lutheran church and the Executive Committee of [Christian organization] Gideons International in Eritrea, was reported to have been detained" on March 18 this year, the group said.
In total at least 550 Christians are held in prisons and even metal containers in the small African nation because of their religious activities, including children and Christians caught worshipping during military service, said human rights watchdog Voice Of the Martyrs recently.
The Eritrean government has denied there is religious persecution in the country. President Isaias Afworki has been quoted as saying that several religious groups have been "duped by foreigners" who sought to "distract from the unity of the Eritrean people and distort the true meaning of religion." (With BosNewsLife Research, reports from Eritrea and Stefan J. Bos).
