ASMARA, Eritrea — Police hauled to prison a group of 51 Protestant Christians worshiping in secret in the Eritrean capital of Asmara on Feb. 15. Pastor Mengse Tweldemedhane of the Hallelujah Church was arrested along with his congregation in the Edaga Hamuse district of Asmara at 3:30 Sunday afternoon. The 34 men and 17 women were held under arrest at the Adi-Abyto military camp until Feb. 18, when Tweldemedhane was separated from the group and locked in an underground cell.
The same day, all but four were transferred to the Sawa Military Training Camp where they remain incarcerated. The latest arrests bring to 347 the total number of Protestant Christians known to be jailed in at least nine locations across Eritrea for attending “illegal” worship services, possessing Bibles or witnessing about their faith. Some of them, including a number of soldiers, have been in prison for nearly two years. (TAB)
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