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.
At least 144 Christian prisoners were listed in various release reports between November 18th and December 20th. Some of them spent their terms of detainment at the Mai Serwa prison – one of Eritrea's most notorious detention facilities. Known for its inhumane treatment and cramped living conditions, this particular prison uses metal shipping containers as makeshift cells – exposing prisoners to the extremities of Eritrea's arid desert climate.
Most of the recently listed releases are believed to be conditional, requiring prisoners to sign documents confessing to the "crime" of participating in religious activities banned by the government. The majority of those whose freedom has been confirmed include young people who were imprisoned for one to five years. Among them were members of a worship music group known as the Mahalians, whose arrests took place in April 2023. (Details on the arrests of these young people can be reviewed here.)
Regrettably, these recent releases did not include the seven prominent church leaders who have been imprisoned for more than 20 years. Their continued detention remains a source of deep concern for the Christian community – both inside and outside the country. To learn more about the suffering of believers in this East African nation, go to VOMCanada.com/Eritrea.htm.
- Although we can be thankful for the release of these Christian prisoners, please pray that they will receive healing, restoration and renewed hope after experiencing years of unjust suffering.
- Continue to remember the hundreds of believers who remain imprisoned without any charge, asking the Lord to protect each one of them, sustain their faith, and make a way for their safe release.
- Pray that the governing authorities of this East African nation would yield to international pressure, end their oppressive policies, and come to rightfully grant our Eritrean brothers and sisters in Christ the basic religious freedoms that have long been denied.
Population
