Dozens of Christians imprisoned

08 April 2010

On March 27, military officials arrested 17 young men gathered for prayer in the town of Segeneiti, Eritrea. The Christians, who are reportedly soldiers carrying out their compulsory national military service, were being held at a local police station at last report. Twenty-five other Christians, all members of the Asmara Full Gospel Church, were arrested on April 2.

Approximately 2,200 Christians remain in prison in Eritrea for their refusal to stop practicing their faith outside of the government-sanctioned churches. (Source: Open Doors USA)

Pray that these believers will be released. Pray that the strength and grace of Jesus will abound in them as they suffer for their faith. Pray that the Word of the Lord will continue to spread throughout Eritrea, even in the midst of great trials and challenges for Christ's followers.

For more information on the severe persecution facing Eritrean Christians, go to the Eritrea Country Report.

Eritrea

Country Information
Population
6,274,796 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Tigrinya (50), Tigre (30), Saho (4), Afar (4) Kunama (4), Bilen (3), other (5)

Religion (%)
Islam (47.4), Christianity (48.8), other (3.8)

Leader
President Isaias Afworki (1993)

Government type
Presidential republic

Legal system
Mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Sources: CIA World Factbook, Operation World
Pray for Eritrea
Ask the Lord to provide imprisoned Eritrean believers a means of escape and a place of safe refuge. Pray for Him to also work deeply in the hearts of the country's governing officials so they will grant His people the freedom to worship Him and glorify His matchless name. Mindful of their own human frailties, may these political leaders realize the need to make Jesus their own personal Saviour and Lord by accepting His gift of eternal salvation.

Eritrea News

24 Christians Recently Released!

Photo: NeedPix

A report has recently surfaced, indicating that 24 Eritrean believers were released from prison in early April. While most of the freed Christians had been detained for more than two years, one of them endured imprisonment for over 18 years. As is often the case, few details have been made available, and no official explanation was given for the releases.

Read more...
Police Arrest 13 Believers During Gathering

Photo: Pexels / Alejandro De Roa

On Sunday, March 15th, Eritrean police arrested 13 Christians at a gathering held in an undisclosed location. The believers were then taken to a prison in the capital city of Asmara. While the identities of the arrested individuals have not been publicly released, a recently received report indicates that one of the detainees – who previously spent 15 years in prison – was freed less than a year ago. No further information regarding the arrests is currently available. In the interim, considering the longstanding patterns of persecution in Eritrea, there are concerns that these believers may be held without any formal charges or court trial.

Read more...
Over 100 Christians Released from Prison

Shipping containers in Eritrea.
Photo: VOMC

More than a hundred Christians were among groups of prisoners released from Eritrean detention centres during the months of November and December in 2025. Despite many of them having spent years in captivity under harsh and arbitrary conditions, none of the recently freed individuals had ever been formally charged with a crime.

Read more...
44 Christians Imprisoned, Including 27 Students

An Eritrean church gathering.
Photo: VOMC

In early December, Eritrean security forces raided a house where 27 secondary school students had gathered together for prayer and worship. The Christian students – most of whom ranged in age from 14 to 16 years old – were taken to a police station and held in custody for a few days before being transferred to the Mai Serwa prison which is located along the outskirts of Asmara.

Read more...