Putim Olketa lo Prison Bikos lo Faith blo Olketa—Eritrea

For staka year, Eritrean gavman bin arrestim and putim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness lo prison—includim olketa woman and olo—without trial or formal charges. President Afwerki hem revokim citizenship blo Olketa Witness lo wanfala presidential decree wea dated October 25, 1994, bikos olketa no participate lo pablik voting for independence lo 1993, and no joinim military service from hem againstim konsens blo olketa. Bifor olketa enforcim law for joinim military service, olketa authority lo Eritrea provaedem alternative civilian service for pipol. Staka Witness duim disfala alternative civilian service anda lo olketa difren gavman administration. Olketa authority savve issuem “Certificates of Completed National Service” and staka taem praisem olketa Witness bikos olketa duim gud waka blo olketa. Bat bikos lo datfala presidential decree, olketa police putim lo prison, torturem, and harassim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness for trae forcem olketa for no followim faith blo olketa.

Distaem, 64 Jehovah’s Witness nao stap lo prison (37 male and 27 female). Lo September 2024 nao hem kasem namba hia taem police brek in lo wanfala haos wea olketa Witness holem wanfala peaceful religious gathering and olketa arrestim 24-fala Witness. Bihaen, olketa releasem tufala pikinini. Afta tu days, olketa arrestim wanfala 85 years old female Witness. Then olketa transfarem 23 Witness hia go lo Mai Serwa Prison. Lo December 7, 2024, olketa releasem wanfala lo olketa Witness hia, Saron Ghebru, wea hem naen months pregnant lo first baby blo hem, and lo January 15, 2025, olketa releasem Mizan Gebreyesus wea hem 82 years old.

Lo November 1, 2024, olketa police targetim olketa Witness moa, and arrestim fofala Witness student, wea age blo olketa hem 16 tu 18 years old. Olketa interrogatim olketa and tekem olketa stret go lo Mai Serwa Prison. Lo November 22, olketa police tekem smol dota blo Almaz Gebrehiwot from skul blo hem go lo police station. Taem Almaz go lo police station for tekem dota blo hem, olketa police releasem dota blo hem bat keepim hem lo police station.

Iumi hapi bikos recently olketa releasem tufala female prisoner. Wanfala hem Mikal Taddesse wea release from Mai Serwa Prison lo February 25, 2025, and narawan hem Berekti Gebretatyos wea release from Adi Abeto Prison lo March 12, 2025.

Living Conditions lo Prison wea Barava Nogud

Olketa Witness lo Mai Serwa and olketa nara prison camp safa bikos lo living conditions wea barava nogud. Olketa prisoner stap insaed lo olketa smol cell wea barava crowded and no inaf spes for leidaon, so taem olketa sleep olketa mas leidaon lo saed and skwis againstim each other. No eni toilet insaed olketa cell hia. Olketa man and woman savve only go lo toilet lo taem wea olketa markem, tu taems each day, and olketa soldia gohed watchim olketa tu. Olketa no garem gud medical kea, and no garem inaf kaikai and wata.

Olketa nogud living conditions hia kosim fofala Witness for dae taem olketa stap lo prison lo Eritrea, and thrifala olo Witness tu dae afta olketa release bikos lo semkaen conditions wea olketa experiencem taem olketa lo prison.

Lo 2011 and 2012, tufala Witness dae bikos lo barava cruel treatment wea tufala kasem lo Meitir Prison Camp. Wanfala hem Misghina Gebretinsae, wea 62 years old, wea dae lo July 2011 bikos lo extreme heat wea hem experiencem, taem olketa putim hem lo wanfala panisment area wea olketa kolem lo “anda graon.” Narawan hem Yohannes Haile, wea hem 68 years old, wea dae lo August 16, 2012, afta fofala year wea hem stap lo prison and hem experiencem semkaen nogud living conditions.
Thrifala olo Witness, Kahsai Mekonnen, Goitom Gebrekristos, and Tsehaye Tesfamariam, dae bihaen olketa release bikos lo living conditions wea barava nogud wea olketa experiencem taem olketa stay lo prison lo Meitir Camp.
Lo 2018, tufala Witness dae afta olketa transfarem tufala go lo Mai Serwa Prison. Wanfala hem Habtemichael Tesfamariam, wea 76 years old hem dae lo January 3, and narawan hem Habtemichael Mekonnen, wea 77 years old hem dae lo March 6. Eritrean authorities bin putim tufala man hia lo prison lo 2008 without eni charges.

Prison Sentence wea No Garem End

Staka Witness wea stay lo prison no savve wat taem nao bae olketa release, maet bae olketa dae lo prison or taem olketa klosap for dae then olketa just release. Since no eni effective legal procedure or stret wei for handolem olketa case followim justice hem available for olketa, taem olketa putim olketa prison, hem olsem olketa laef taem lo there nao.

Profile blo Prisoner of Conscience

Wintana Shewaseged

Wintana Shewaseged hem born lo Eritrea lo 1989, and hem baptaes olsem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness lo August 5, 2007. Bikos lo faith blo hem, olketa putim hem lo prison lo April 27, 2014, bihaen olketa arrestim hem during wanfala religious meeting. Since then, hem go thru lo olketa barava hard condition lo prison wea hem stay, bikos lo religious faith blo hem.

Wintana kam from wanfala singol-parent famili. Dadi blo hem dae finis, and mami lusim kantri bikos lo religious persecution. Bifor olketa putim Wintana lo prison, hem waka lo famili bisnis blo olketa. Hem designim, soengim, and salem olketa kaleko. Hem skulim tu accounting. Pipol savve lo reputation blo hem olsem gele wea creative and kaen tumas, bikos staka taem hem savve givim olketa gift lo others and hem enjoy for wakem olketa difren handicrafts, wea wanfala hem painting.

Nara samting wea pipol savve lo hem abaotem Wintana tu, hem strong faith wea hem garem. Nomata hem kasem olketa challenge, hem gohed for garem strong hope and hem strong spiritually. Love wea hem garem for Bible hem olsem faondeson for laef blo hem, wea strongim hem for gohed faithful nomata hem stap lo prison. Wanfala scripture wea barava helpem hem nao 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, wea sei: “Nomata mifala olsem olketa clay jar, mifala garem disfala treasure insaed lo mifala, mekem hem klia dat paoa wea mifala kasem, wea hem winim normal paoa blo man hem kam from God and no from mifala seleva. Mifala feisim enikaen trabol, bat olketa trabol hia no pressim mifala gogo mifala no savve muv. Mifala konfius, bat wei hem stap. Mifala kasem persecution, bat God no lusim mifala. Olketa hitim mifala foldaon lo graon, bat mifala no dae.”

Olketa Ignorem Advaes From Olketa Paoaful Human Rights Organization

Eritrea gohed for ignorem olketa international human rights standards. Olketa human rights organization condemnim olketa violation blo basic rights wea Eritrea duim and continue for encouragem olketa for impruvim datfala situation.

Lo 2016, the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights lo Eritrea givim judgment dat Eritrean authorities olketa commitim wanfala “crime againstim humanity,” bikos olketa “persecutim pipol blo religion and ethnic grup” blo olketa Jehovah’s Witness and others.
Lo 2017, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) talemaot concern blo olketa dat nomata law hem stap for olketa pikinini kasem protection, “olketa pikinini blo Olketa Jehovah Witness,” nating benefit from datfala right and feisim cruel treatment. Datfala ACERWC recommendim for Eritrea “mas luksavve and fully implementim Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion blo olketa pikinini without discrimination.”
Lo 2018, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights recommendim dat Eritrea mas “kwiktaem duim samting for addressim denial blo basic rights blo evri pipol wea stap lo prison, includim . . . olketa member blo Jehovah Witness faith” and sei olketa mas investigatem olketa report wea sei olketa Witness dae lo prison. Datfala commission talem dat Eritrea mas mek sure Olketa Jehovah’s Witness “retainim citizenship rights blo olketa.”
Lo May 2019, UN Human Rights Committee (CCPR) askem Eritrea for talem guarantee dat bae olketa givim freedom of religion and biliv lo pipol, and for “releasem evriwan wea olketa arrestim or putim lo prison wea iusim rights blo olketa for practicem religion blo olketa, includim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.” CCPR askem Eritrea “for mek sure dat law blo olketa recognizim conscientious objection saed lo military service and for provaedem alternative civilian service for olketa conscientious objectors.”
Lo wanfala report wea olketa givim for UN Human Rights Council dated May 7, 2024, UN Special Rapporteur wea investigatem situation saed lo human rights lo Eritrea, hem sei: “Olketa Jehovah’s Witness feisim severe and specific forms of persecution, insaed diswan hem unfair detention and denial blo citizenship, documents and olketa rights and services wea olketa shud kasem.” Report hia askem gavman lo Eritrea for “immediately and unconditionally releasem evriwan wea olketa putim lo prison wea hem no stret saed lo law and hem unfair” and for “stopem practice for arrestim and putim pipol lo prison without eni legal basis.”

Taem Laen

July 16, 2025

Total blo 64 Witness nao lo prison.
November 22, 2024

Arrestim Almaz Gebrehiwot bikos hem refuse for joinim politikol party blo kantri.
November 1, 2024

Arrestim fofala Witness student and transfarem olketa go lo Mai Serwa Prison.
September 27-30, 2024

Arrestim twenti-thri Witness and transfarem olketa go lo Mai Serwa Prison, olketa arrestim tu tufala pikinini and bihaen olketa releasem tufala.
February 1, 2021

Thrifala Witness release from prison.
January 29, 2021

Wanfala Witness release from prison.
December 4, 2020

Twenti-eit Witness release from prison.
March 6, 2018

Habtemichael Mekonnen, wea 77 years old hem dae, afta olketa transfarem hem go lo Mai Serwa Prison.
January 3, 2018

Habtemichael Tesfamariam, wea 76 years old hem dae, afta olketa transfarem hem go lo Mai Serwa Prison.
July 2017

Evri Witness wea prisoner lo Meitir Camp olketa transfarem go lo Mai Serwa Prison aotsaed lo kapitol taon, Asmara.
July 25, 2014

Staka lo olketa wea olketa arrestim lo April 14 olketa release, bat 20-fala lo olketa wea olketa arrestim lo April 27 olketa still stap lo prison.
April 27, 2014

Thirti-wan Witness olketa arrestim during lo wanfala Bible study meeting.
April 14, 2014

Moa than 90 Witness olketa arrestim during Memorial lo dae blo Christ wea olketa Witness savve duim evri year.
August 16, 2012

Yohannes Haile, wea hem 68 years old hem dae lo prison bikos lo living conditions wea barava nogud.
July 2011

Misghina Gebretinsae, wea hem 62 years old, hem dae lo prison bikos lo living conditions wea barava nogud.
June 28, 2009

Olketa authorities reidem haos blo wanfala Witness during wanfala religious service and arrestim 23 Witness wea attend, wea age blo olketa start from 2 years tu 80 years old.
April 28, 2009

Olketa authorities transfarem evri Jehovah’s Witness wea stap lo custody lo olketa police station go lo Meitir Prison Camp. Wanfala Witness nomoa olketa no transfarem hem.
July 8, 2008

Olketa authorities start reidim olketa haos and waka ples for arrestim 24 Witness, staka lo olketa hem only wan lo famili wea waka for selen.
May 2002

Gavman klosim daon evri religious grup wea no operate anda lo fofala religion wea gavman appruvim.
October 25, 1994

Wanfala presidential decree aotem citizenship blo Olketa Jehovah’s Witness and basic civil rights blo olketa.
September 17, 1994

Olketa putim Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam lo prison without eni charges or trial.
1950’s

Olketa first grup blo Olketa Jehovah’s Witness establish lo Eritrea.