Eritrea Archives - Stories

Arrests of Christians Increasing

vomtechsupport — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:07:08 +0000

Forced deportations are placing Afghan Christians in danger. More than 1.4 million Afghans have been deported from Iran back to Afghanistan since the start of 2025, with as many as half a million sent back since the June 2025 war between Israel and Iran. “Some of those being forced back are Christians,” said a front-line worker. “They are Christians who already fled persecution in their home villages and fear what could happen to them when they return.” Many Christians will attempt to hide in Afghanistan’s larger cities, but without family support networks to help them, they urgently need assistance. The front-line worker asked for prayer for these Afghan Christians who had lived in Iran to find safe housing and living arrangements in their home country. He also asks that people pray for Afghan Christians to have courage to shine God’s light in Afghanistan, a country without church buildings or open access to Christian resources.

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Former Prisoner Grateful for Prayers

vomtechsupport — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 07:07:02 +0000

A Christian imprisoned in Eritrea several times for his faith expressed gratitude to the global body of Christ for their ongoing support in prayer: “You have been praying for us, and I want to thank you,” Joseph said. He also shared how communism is Eritrea’s most significant challenge and that its president, who trained in China, launched a brutal crackdown on the Christian community in 2004, closing most churches and arresting many Christian leaders. Those imprisoned without trial are held in inhumane conditions, including metal shipping containers. “Prisons in Eritrea … are torture chambers,” Joseph said. Front-line workers believe 350-400 Eritrean Christians remain in prison, but the actual figure is unknown because officials will not release information on prisoners or allow outside contact. But Brother Joseph stated that despite the pressures in his country, “We praise God because the number of believers is growing every day.”

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Eritrean Christian Burials Delayed or Denied

vomtechsupport — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:07:03 +0000

Pastor Tesfay Sium Yihdego died in early April at the age of 58 after serving ten years and two months in an Eritrean prison because he was a faithful Christian minister. He suffered from a brain tumor that developed while he was incarcerated. Prison officials decided to release him early after it became clear that he would not survive his condition. Upon his death, government security officials, community leaders and approved religious authorities refused to allow Pastor Tesfay a proper burial. Front-line workers say obtaining permission to bury Christians is a frequent challenge in Eritrea. Occasionally, funerals are held in the location where the person died. After 14 days, Pastor Tesfay’s family was finally able to bury him in a cemetery, but only eight people were permitted to attend the service.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Eritrea and learn how to pray.

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Eritrean Christians Imprisoned for Decades

vomtechsupport — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 07:07:03 +0000

Eritrea is governed by a totalitarian regime that seeks to control every aspect of life. In 2002, the government outlawed every form of religion except Islam, Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism and the Lutheran Church. All other religious groups are illegal, and the government maintains control of approved churches. Many Christians have been arrested without warning, and imprisoned Christians are not given a trial or allowed to see their families. Conditions inside these prisons are some of the harshest in the world. Some 200 to 250 believers are believed to remain in prison, though it is unclear if all are still alive. Christian prisoners are provided meager rations and often held in shipping containers in extreme desert conditions for years. Several Eritrean Christian leaders, like Haile Nayzgi, have been imprisoned since 2004.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Eritrea and learn how to pray.

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Forty-Two Christians Arrested

vomtechsupport — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 07:07:01 +0000

During the last week of May 2022, Eritrean police arrested 17 Christians who had gathered for prayer. A week later, authorities arrested 25 more believers, including eight children. All 42 Christians remain in detention.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Eritrea and learn how to pray.

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ERITREA: “God is Always Miraculous”

vomtechsupport — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 17:09:01 +0000

Helen Berhane, worship leader and former prisoner in Eritrea, joined us last week to share the first part of her story: how she was persecuted for her faith and yet encouraged all believers to count the cost of following Christ. Helen is back this week for the second half of that conversation.

Thankfully, she had access to the Bible while imprisoned, and the Lord revealed new wisdom and understanding of Him to her as she read from Genesis to Revelations 15 times!

Her knowledge of Jesus increased, and the Holy Spirit gave her overwhelming love and forgiveness towards the ones persecuting her. Supernaturally, she knew when people were praying for her while she was in prison. Many letters were sent, from around the world, to encourage her in prison, and even though she was never able to read the letters, she knows they made a difference.

Copies of Helen’s book, Song of the Nightingale, have been smuggled into Eritrea, and her story has encouraged many people toward faith in Christ. Continue to pray for believers currently in prison in Eritrea—an estimated 250 to 300 Christians as of June 2022, including five currently listed on PrisonerAlert.com.

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ERITREA: “Everything Costs a Price”

vomtechsupport — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 17:09:01 +0000

Helen Berhane was tortured then imprisoned in a metal shipping container in the African nation of Eritrea. But in spite of terrible persecution she kept singing praises to God!

In 2002, the Eritrean government banned evangelical churches from holding public worship services – forcing Christians to meet illegally, in secret. Helen and other believers did not stop meeting, and it wasn’t long until she and many other persecuted Christians were imprisoned. Helen had intentionally prepared herself; she was ready to stand firm in her faith for Christ even in the face of the persecution she knew was coming. Everything, she says, has a price, including following Jesus.

Listen as Helen shares how she prepared for her trials and the Bible verses that encouraged her even as she was held in the harshest of prison conditions. God’s presence continued to strengthen her to deny herself, stay disciplined and even gain a better understanding of Jesus’ suffering.

Helen would cry – not because of the situation, but because of her experience of the unconditional love of God. And through it all, Helen chose joy and kept on singing. Instead of worshipping in the front of the church or in the spotlight, she worshipped simply in the presence of God.

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Christians Arrested During Church Service

vomtechsupport — Thu, 12 May 2022 07:07:02 +0000

In March 2022, Eritrean officials raided a house church gathering and arrested 29 Christians — 12 men and 17 women. All are currently being held at Mai-Serwa prison. Prison conditions for Christians inside Eritrea are some of the worst in the world, and imprisoned Christians are often refused the right to a trial or to see their families. Pray for our brothers and sisters to remain firm in their faith amid their imprisonment. Pray that God’s peace will comfort them and their families during this time.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Eritrea and learn how to pray.

Post a prayer for Imprisoned Christians on iCommitToPray.com

Christians Re-arrested After Recent Release from Prison

vomtechsupport — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 07:07:02 +0000

A group of 15 believers was arrested once again in recent weeks despite being released from prison in the last few months. These Christians were not engaged in any illegal activity as they were arrested in their homes. “The police actually went to each of their individual houses; they weren’t caught in a homestead church or gathering,” a front-line worker said. The group of believers includes long-term prisoners who had recently been released from prison, and the group is now being held in Mai Serewa Prison. Pray for these Christians to not lose hope as they continue to endure persecution for the sake of Christ. Pray that the Eritrean authorities will release them quickly, and pray that their witness for Christ will lead many others to Him, including their persecutors and jailers.

Click here to find out about Christian persecution in Eritrea and learn how to pray.

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Prison in Eritrea as a Believer: Sharing Christ Behind Bars

Megan — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 19:08:15 +0000

Dr. Berhane spent 11 months in prison in Eritrea because of his Christian witness. The following is edited and excerpted from an interview with Dr. Berhane by VOM Radio host Todd Nettleton.

I was working in hospital when one day the secret police came and arrested me and sent me to prison, and I stayed there for 11 months.

So, at that time [I was arrested] I was a new believer, but still I believed that my future is in God’s hand. I wanted to use the opportunity to share God’s love to the prison guards, the fellow prisoners, the inmates, and God opened this opportunity. Every day I was clapping my hands and prisoners would come forward and I shared the gospel.

When you are in prison, what you see is harassment; everybody screams at you, the prisoners fight each other, and the prison guards are not nice to you. But, you can keep this inner peace; it is because of Jesus. You wanted to share that peace to the guards and to the prisoners. Sometimes you see people being touched by that and they want to hear more about it. So this encourages me to do more and more. Some people were praying and were inviting Jesus Christ into their heart.

When you are in this prison, it is not like prison in the West. Most people were never charged [with a crime]. One day they will call five to six [or] 20 people and execute them. Nobody knows when he or she is going to be executed.

I remember one night two guys came to my bedside and borrowed my Bible, and they read together and prayed. The next morning one of the guys was executed. So when you see those people prepare to face eternity, you appreciate being there. That was the purpose of God. A lot of people prayed just before they died, so that is really a good opportunity.

There are times that you feel that God has forgotten you; especially when you see these 20 to 30 people taken from you. You are close. You become family in the prison. You eat together, you laugh together, and suddenly the prison guard comes with a list of names and just you wait. You might be one of them, but you are not, but your friends who are part of that group [are]. You feel bad, but always, the Scripture encouraged me.

I remember one time I was a bit disturbed. When I looked into the Scripture, the book of Psalms, “Though I walk through the valley of death, you are with me.” I felt this is the valley of death. I shared with the prisoners, I told them, “That is the place where we are, but that is not all. God is with us.” So, a lot of people were comforted, and you can see the power of the Scripture for that dark time.

I had to hide [my Bible]. Sometimes there is [a] search, they take my Bible, but I had to smuggle again. In 11 months I smuggled three times, so three times they took my Bible.

I know three [prisoners in Eritrea — Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, Kidane Weldou and Haile Nayzgi]; in fact, Dr. Kiflu was my prayer partner. Pastor Kidane is also a pastor and I knew him since he was a young person. I know also Haile very well. There is more freedom inside the prison than outside. Once you are there, you are there; you are not scared of imprisonment. People feel freer to worship inside the prison than outside.