ASMARA, Eritrea — A pastor imprisoned for more than a decade for his Christian activities has been released, according to Voice of the Martyrs.
Pastor Oqbamichel Haiminot, senior pastor of the Kale Hiwot (Word of Life) Church, became the first senior Eritrean church leader to be imprisoned for his Christian activities in 2003. At that time, he spent a few weeks in prison.
In January 2005 while participating in a wedding ceremony, Pastor Oqbamichel, the bride and groom and 66 other evangelicals were all arrested. Most of the Christians arrested were gradually released over the next few months, but Pastor Oqbamichel and five others were kept in detention.
A spokesperson for Voice of the Martyrs said government officials in the small northeast African nation closed all evangelical churches in 2002 and made Christian activity illegal.
Open Doors ranks Eritrea on their 2018 World Watch List as the sixth worst country for Christian persecution. (TAB)
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