Jehovah's Witnesses—Eritrea

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International Religious Freedom Report 2004
July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2004

Abuses of Religious Freedom

In 1994, Eritrea's president decreed that Jehovah's Witnesses had revoked their citizenship by not participating in the national referendum and not participating in military service. He therefore decreed that Jehovah's Witnesses were not allowed to work in any government offices, revoked their business licenses, and rescinded their identity cards and travel documents. This has created great economic hardship and, in the case of some conscientious objectors, long-term imprisonment. 

Approximately 250 families who are Jehovah's Witnesses have fled Eritrea and sought asylum outside the country because of the hardships. At least 100 Jehovah's Witnesses lost their employment because of their religion, and this has affected at least 325 persons. Thirty-eight Jehovah's Witnesses were denied their business licenses. Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be issued national identity cards, and thus they cannot purchase land for homes, legalize their marriages, and receive driver's licenses, passports or other travel documents. At least 36 families have been expelled from their homes. Because of societal and governmental pressure, Jehovah's Witnesses have problems renting government homes. 

Thirty-one children who are Jehovah's Witnesses were expelled from school. For Witness schoolchildren, education is possible up to the 12^th grade. However, the many pressures related to conscientious objection to military service make expulsion likely. No higher education is possible due to the requirement of national military service. Even for secondary education, national military service is required before one can receive the benefits of matriculation. Some Witness children remain for a year or two without education until their parents can get them into a private school.

In May 2003, the Eritrean government denied visas to an attorney of Jehovah's Witnesses from the United States and a senior representative of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kenya when they sought to travel to Asmara and meet with officials to discuss the ongoing problems facing Jehovah's Witnesses.

Conscientious Objection to Military Service

The national military service requirement has no regulations or provisions for conscientious objection. Most young men who are Jehovah's Witnesses between the ages of 18 and 40 are in hiding in their homes (a self-imposed house arrest) to avoid being arrested by the ever-present MPs who patrol the streets. If arrested, they are taken to a military camp, where they are detained and receive severe beatings and various other forms of torture.

Ten men who are Jehovah's Witnesses are in prison as conscientious objectors to military service. (Below we list 11 prisoners; we understand that one escaped but we have no details regarding which prisoner he is.)

• Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam (all Jehovah's Witnesses) are still imprisoned in the Sawa Prison after nine years. They are denied access to visitors, including their families. They were imprisoned on September 24, 1994, without charges or trial because of their conscientious objection to military service for religious reasons.
• Seven other Witnesses are in the Sawa Prison as conscientious objectors. One was imprisoned on May 9, 2001, and six were imprisoned in 2003.
• Another one of Jehovah's Witnesses is in prison in Asmara for conscientious objection.

Religious Persecution

The Eritrean government threatened action against all religious "sects" in the country. The government commanded the military police to close all meeting places of what the government terms "religious sects" and ordered them not to meet any more. Only four major religions in the country are not affected. With this new development, some of Jehovah's Witnesses whose homes have Kingdom Halls (houses of worship) in their compounds received verbal warning from government officials that they would have to discontinue religious meetings in their homes or the government would shut them down. 

On April 16, 2003, Jehovah's Witnesses in the Hadas Alem Congregation in Asmara had just completed the Memorial celebration (an annual religious observance of the death of Jesus Christ) when police surrounded the meeting place. There were 164 in attendance, including children. All present were held in custody and interrogated throughout the night of April 16. Some children and interested persons (non-Witnesses who were in attendance) were released the next day. All remaining children and interested persons were released after three days, 65 adults after 8 days, and all remaining imprisoned Witnesses were released on May 14, 2003, almost one month after their detainment.

• On January 24, 2004, thirty-eight Jehovah's Witnesses and interested persons from the Saba Congregation in Asmara were arrested. They were attending a religious meeting in a private home. The police took this group of 38 men, women, and children, ranging in age from 6 to 90, to the police station, where they were detained. Items in the meeting place, such as chairs and publications, were confiscated. On January 26, one woman who works at the Norwegian Embassy was released, following a discussion between her manager and the police. On January 27, after three nights in detention at the police station, nine children were released but five minors remain in police custody. The 28 remaining detainees were transferred to a prison facility outside Asmara. No one has been allowed to see them.
• Various individuals have subsequently been released. However, as of this date, 12 still remain imprisoned. Their names and ages are as follows: (males) Yemane Tsegay, 41, Tsegabirhan Berhe, 41, Ghebrehiwet Tedla, 87, Sertsu Yilma, 55, Tekle Ghebrehiwet, 40, Asmerom Beraki, 50, Ghebreselasie Adhanom, 94, Tedros Atsbeha, 25, Samson Tesfalem, 24, Mikias Ghebru, 19; (females) Rebka Ghebretinsaye, 39, and Akberet Ghebremichael, 30.
• In May or early June 2004, police surrounded a house in Asmara reportedly in reprisal for the prisoner who escaped from the Sawa camp. They arrested four individuals (two are related to the escaped prisoner) associated with the Godaif Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Asmara. They are imprisoned in the same prison outside Asmara as the remaining ones from the Saba Congregation.