At least 150 Eritrean Christians were arrested by government officials during the last two months, with some of them held in an underground prison made up of tunnels. The most recent arrests occurred on

August 18 when Eritrean security officials detained 80 Christians from Godayef, an area near the airport of the capital, Asmara. They were taken to a police station and have been held there ever since, a local source told World Watch Monitor.

Four days later, on August 22, the United Nations observed its first annual commemoration of victims of religiously motivated violence. “On this day, we reaffirm our unwavering support for the victims of violence based on religion and belief. And we demonstrate that support by doing all in our power to prevent such attacks and demanding that those responsible are held accountable”, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Eritrea’s government current clampdown on Christians began in June when Eritrean security officials arrested 70 members of the Faith Mission Church of Christ, in Eritrea’s second city, Keren.

The church’s members, among them 35 women and 10 children, were taken to Ashufera prison, 25kms from the city. The prison is a vast underground tunnel system and the conditions in which the detainees are held are very harsh, the local source said. Its location far from a main road, the source said, “means that anyone who wants to visit loved ones there will have to walk a minimum of 30 minutes to reach the entrance. Inmates are forced to dig additional tunnels when officers need extra space for more prisoners.”

(World Watch Monitor)