Eritrea (MNN) — Two more
Christians have died in Eritrea's military-styled confinement. Glenn
Penner with
Voice of the Martyrs Canada says that makes a total of three believers who have died in custody
since October.
37-year-old Mogos Hagos Kiflom and 42-year-old Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom both died in the northeastern Mitire Military Confinement camp earlier this
month.
According to a Compass Direct
report, Asgedom died on January 16 from ongoing physical torture and
complications related to his diabetes.
Kiflom also died recently after undergoing torture for refusing to
recant his faith.
The ongoing persecution has brought
glaring attention and international pressure over humanitarian violations in
the country.
The U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom has repeatedly recommended that Eritrea be
listed in the U.S. State Department's "countries of particular concern" (CPC) —
the blacklist of countries with severe religious freedom violations. The US. Department of State re-designated
Eritrea a CPC in 2006.
Yet, little can be done. Penner says, "Eritrea has denied that there
were any Christians in prison at all. They refuse to acknowledge that they are
persecuting evangelical Christians. The reason they are able to deny this is
because none of these men and women have even been brought to trial."
Some 2,000 Eritrean Christians are believed to
be jailed without a legal charge because of their religious beliefs.
The impact on the church? It's driven believers deeper underground.
How can we help? "Pray for those that are in prison," Penner asks. "There are believers being tortured
in some of the most inhumane ways. Pray for them that they'll continue to hold
firm in their faith and that God will make Himself real to them. Pray for the
families as well. Many of them have no idea where their loved ones are or even
if they're still alive."
Pray that those in mourning will
find peace in knowing that those who suffered with Christ will be glorified
with Him. Pray for the release of Christians imprisoned in Eritrea.
