I call on Eritrean authorities to put an end to such treatments and comply with their international human rights obligations. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. However, 75-year-old Afewerki, the leader of the ruling Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice Party, has the reputation of being an alcoholic and a ruthless autocrat. This year has really had a lot of unexpected events. All Witnesses currently in prison have never been charged, appeared in court, or sentenced. Additionally, Jehovahs Witnesses develop missionary activities in close social networks and hold religious meetings in private homes, which is illegal. I am in tears . None of the three have been charged or granted a hearing. What a brilliant day this is for not just them but all of us that have prayed for them over the years. Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam have been imprisoned in Eritrea since 1994. Thus, as the physical head directs the movements and operations of the body, or the head one of a department supervises the organization and work of his staff, so the . For years, I prayed for the three brothers in Eritrea who were imprisoned for their faith longer than anyone else in JW history: Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam. The majority of the imprisoned male Jehovahs Witnesses are incarcerated indefinitely, with no hope of release until they die or are near death. of all those detained arbitrarily on account of their religion or belief. . On Dec. 4, the government released 24 Jehovahs Witnesses, including conscientious objectors Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years. Afewerkis policy of restrictions is more about his fear that religion will mobilize people as a political force than religion per se. Prior to independence, Eritrea allowed conscientious objectors to join an alternative civilian service group to fulfill their obligation.The Eritrean constitution, ratified in 1997, officially grants citizens the right to freedom of religion, but it has limitations. All 52 Jehovahs Witnesses in prison in Eritrea have never been charged, appeared in court, or sentenced. "Some of those Witnesses have been imprisoned for more than 20 years. Dozens of Christians have been freed from prison in Eritrea after being held for years without charge.. Just shows how things can change for the better all of a sudden. Authorities arrested Eyasu, Mogos and Teklemariam on September 17, 1994, but formal charges were never filed and they've never come before the court. Wouldn't it be thrilling if Jehovah was securing their release because the Great Tribulation was about to start? The situation of detainees and political prisoners is particularly concerning. In almost all cases, Jehovahs Witnesses are arrested and imprisoned without any formal criminal charges, trial or sentencing. unfolding crisis in Tigray, including by imposing arms embargoes on the warring On December 4, 2020, 26 brothers and 2 sisters in Eritrea were set free after being imprisoned for their faith. I also ( suspiciously) wonder why this is happening now? 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Big cities run by Democrats for decades are now supposedly 'ungovernable', HBO's sexploitation is a workers' rights travesty, WATCH: Steven Spielberg likens rise in antisemitism to 'Germany in the '30s', AOC gloats after construction of Virginia Amazon headquarters delayed as company cuts jobs, Alex Murdaugh trial: Watch the key video that could've sealed guilty murder verdict. This week marked 25 years in prison without charges or trial for three men in Eritrea. abducted and forced to return to Eritrea under duress by Eritrean forces., CSWs Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: CSW welcomes The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is the leading United Nations entity in the field of human rights, with a unique mandate to promote and protect all human rights for all people. TODAY, December 4, 2020, 26 brothers and 2 sisters in Eritrea were set free after being imprisoned for their faith. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Estimates suggest that thousands of Eritrean soldiers have fought in the Tigray War on the side of the Ethiopian government. paulos eyasu, isaac mogos and negede teklemariam releasedAppearance > Menus (619) Patriot (728-7468) lawrence township police department clearfield pa; OPR No: 12689 | Trapper ID No: 64965. I also ( suspiciously) wonder why this is happening now? However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The trioidentified as Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariamhave been incarcerated in the East African nation since 1994, after refusing to partake in military service, part of their pacifist beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses. Among other restrictions, Jehovahs Witnesses are not able to receive a full secular education, own a business, or travel outside of the country. [4] General Assembly of the United Nations, Situation of human rights in Eritrea. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea (Report A/HRC/41/53) May 16, 2019. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/G1914037.pdf. Retreat, Spirituality and Pilgrimage Centres. For example, since the last report of my predecessor, some prisoners such as Dawit Isaak, a Swedish-Eritrean journalist, and of ten of his colleagues remain for two decades in incommunicado detention. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Recommended for countries of particular concern: Eritrea, 2020, 2020. https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Egypt.pdfhttps://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Eritrea.pdf. HRWF (04.12.2020) On December 4, 2020, 26 male and 2 female Jehovahs Witnesses in Eritrea were set free after being imprisoned for their faith. They also requested Eritrea to "ensure the legal recognition of conscientious objection to military service and provide for alternative service of a civilian nature for conscientious objectors.. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, approximately 20,000 I urge the Eritrean authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all of those who remain in prison because of their faith or belief. And when will the authorities release Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, three conscientious . In recent years, several human rights bodies have expressed increasing concern over Eritrea's treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses. We are a pro-JW community maintained by brothers and sisters around the world. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Since 2006, JWTalk has proved to be a well-moderated online community for realJehovah's Witnesses on the web. It is reported that approximately 60 to 65 per cent of students at Sawa do not obtain the results needed for further studies and are either drafted directly into military service or sent to vocational training programmes. Around 3,000 former residents of Shimelba and Hitsat have reportedly A number of beliefs and practices of Jehovahs Witnesses have been perceived negatively by the current government. Most of the prisoners were freed from Mai Serwa and Adi Abeito prisons, near the capital, Asmara, on 1 February. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The prisoners had been held between two and 12 years. These are other examples of numerous cases of individuals who are currently languishing in Eritrean prisons, with no prospect of release. While I welcome the release by the authorities of the Christians and Jehovahs Witnesses, I have to note that Eritrea continues to impose restrictions on religious freedoms. I was speaking with Jehovah, petitioning and giving all the reasons why their trial had to come to an end. I also received first-hand accounts of allegations of grave human rights and humanitarian law violations, including extra judicial killings, targeted abductions and forced return of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers to Eritrea, allegedly by Eritrean forces. final statement It is also alleged that military officials in Sawa subject students to ill-treatment and harsh punishments, including corporal punishment, and students undertake forced labour. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1991 after 30 years of continuous armed struggle by the Eritrean Liberation Front. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. Zenebu detailed how she looked on as she saw Eritrean soldiers loot the belongings from residents homes. Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam were detained on Sept. 17, 1994, apparently because they conscientiously objected to military service, according to a report published. Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, among others, have been imprisoned for over 20 years for their Christian faith. High Commissioner said many refugees appear to have been caught in crossfire, We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. That was the last time I saw my friend. ( As I have their names memorized)! The country lacks rule of law, a constitution and an independent judiciary to enforce the protection of and respect for human rights. Therefore, they do not know when they will be released. Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam members of the Jehovah Witness faith were arrested over 25 years ago for objecting to military service that goes against their religion. Amazing news! JWTalk - Jehovah's Witnesses Online Community Image copyright: Jehovah's Witnesses Office of Public Information. "Some of those Witnesses have been imprisoned for more than 20 years. In Eritrea, Jehovahs Witnesses are in prison as conscientious objectors to military service, for holding underground religious meetings or for attempts to share their beliefs with others. Why is same-sex marriage an issue in the election of the new Scottish First Minister? Three men, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been in prison for conscientious objection to compulsory military service since 17 September 1994. The women were arrested after worshipping in public as they were walking down a street, an event which was caught on camera and circulated via social media. The freed prisoners include six women who were arrested on a street after worshipping in public.. On 4 December 2020, the government released 24 Jehovah's Witnesses, including the high-profile conscientious objectors Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years, and whose cases were highlighted by the former UN Special Rapporteur on Eritrea in her final statement to the UN Third Committee in New York in trial, and should never have been incarcerated. For more details about imprisoned Jehovahs Witnesses, seehttps://hrwf.eu/prisoners-database/. I have received information from credible sources that, as of November 2020, the situation of these refugees and asylum seekers has become more precarious and worrisome. re-designate Eritrea as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for engaging in systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom; impose targeted sanctions on Eritrean government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals assets and/or barring their entry into the US under human rights related financial and visa authorities; use bilateral and multilateral diplomatic channels to urge the government of Eritrea to: release unconditionally detainees held on account of their religious activities; publish the registration law for religious groups along with clear guidelines for applying for or appealing decisions; end religious persecution of unregistered religious communities and grant full citizenship rights to Jehovahs Witnesses. Detainees and conscripts at military training camps are subject to torture, including a method called "otto," in which hands are tied together behind the back while victims lie on their stomachs. I call on Eritrean authorities to put an end to such treatments and comply with their international human rights obligations. "However, this good news must not obscure the Eritrean regime's continued complicity in egregious violations of human rights, both within its own borders and now in Tigray. Funny story, last several days they were on my mind more than usual. . Eritrea's military abducted the victims with- out warrant or legitimate cause on September 17, 1994, ap- parently because they conscientiously objected to military service. Neither camp is I hope the Eritrean authorities will cooperate with my mandate and I am still awaiting their response. She said their pockets were filled with stolen jewelry and recalled some troops trying on looted clothing. In addition, they cannot apply to travel abroad. The men's families appealed for help to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, but the Eritrean government has ignored their request to allow lawyers, family members, and doctors to visit the three prisoners. We also call for urgent action to arrest the unfolding crisis in Tigray, including by imposing arms embargoes on the warring parties, and sanctions on the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea, who bear ultimate responsibility for human rights violations that are allegedly being committed with impunity by their respective forces. Jehovah's Witnesses Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam were imprisoned in Eritrea since 1994. There were over 96,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray before the crisis, living largely in four refugee camps, including Hitsats, Mai-Aini, Adi Harush, and Shemelba. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 24 left!!!! While the releases have been warmly welcomed, there is also speculation that they mark the latest effort by the Eritrean regime to distract international attention from the country's active role in the ongoing war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, where Eritrean troops have been accused of violence which may amount to crimes against humanity, war crimes and possibly genocide. Their detention has also proven painful for friends and family, and one described his sorrow at losing his friend a quarter-century ago. The situation of detainees and political prisoners is particularly concerning. Interesting article from the Experiences of Jehovahs Witnesses series. I am concerned that the conditions in the camp have impact on the right to education. We call on the CSW welcomes the release of these Christians in Eritrea, who were detained without charge or trial, and should never have been incarcerated, CSW President Mervyn Thomas said. The intention was for everyone to see.. Citing eyewitnesses he met during a recent visit to Mai Aini, the As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years. While in prison, this man saw firsthand that Jehovah's Witnesses live by what they teach. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-report-on-international-religious-freedom/eritrea/, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-8-2017-0309_EN.html, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/G1914037.pdf, https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Egypt.pdf, https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Eritrea.pdf, Human Rights Without Frontiers International. Loopy both had been extensively and deliberately destroyed. CSW has been informed that 70 Christians from evangelical There are currently 52 Jehovah's Witnesses being held without trial in Eritrea, according to the Jehovah's Witnesses' Office of Public Information. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. What is the source ? With no beauracracy or lengthy procedure - just released suddenly! However, this good news must not obscure the Eritrean regime's continued complicity in egregious violations of human rights, both within its own borders and now in Tigray. I too was thinking about that same thing, what significance is this for Jehovah? https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26795&LangID=E, Eritrea one of the least accessible countries for humanitarian organisations, Searches, Arrests, and Tension in Eritrea, Eritreas jailed journalist exhibition opens in UK Parliament, Dispute over Patriach splits Norwegian Orthodox church in two, Twenty one years after being jailed, Eritreas independent journalists are remembered in the British Parliament. Such allegations need to be investigated promptly and thoroughly by independent mechanisms. Jehovah's Witnesses Imprisoned for Their Faith By Location ", In one case of torture at Sawa, a witness said unsuccessful deserters were tied to a corpse: One had been shot running away, the other two had their hands tied to the feet of the dead person. What's wrong with the House of Bishops' proposed same-sex prayers? Press briefing note on Myanmar/Bangladesh - Rohingya, UN expert implores Myanmars Suu Kyi: open your eyes, listen, feel with your heart, National institutions and regional mechanisms. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. This experience made a deep impression on this sincere man, and after settling in Norway, he wanted to find out why Jehovahs Witnesses have such strong faith. They have spent between 5 and26 yearsin prison. His heartmust be overflowing with praise and thanks to Jehovah. They include conscientious objectors Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who have been held for 26 years. Since I started my mandate on 1 November 2020, I am monitoring the ongoing Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, which erupted on 4 November 2020, and its impact on the Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers. I have tears in my eyes while at work. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. On December 4, 2020, 26 brothers and 2 sisters in Eritrea were set free after being imprisoned for their faith. Kate Forbes: Would a Christian be permitted to lead Scotland. trial for periods of between two and 12 years. Administrative Office 2525 W. Greenway Rd., Ste. Since I started my mandate on 1 November 2020, I am monitoring the ongoing Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, which erupted on 4 November 2020, and its impact on the Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers. Please click here to learn how. By a presidential decree dated 25 October1994, President Afewerki revoked citizenship for Jehovahs Witnesses because they did not participate in the 1993 independence referendum and they are conscientious objectors to military service. The president also stripped them of basic civil rights. https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/#newsAlerts, Trimis de pe al meu Redmi Note 4 folosind Tapatalk, This so wonderful for our brothers!!!! In December, 24 Jehovah's Witnesses were freed, among them high-profile conscientious objectors Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years., Although their release has been welcomed, CSW said it is possible that Eritrea is trying to deflect international attention away from its involvement in the ongoing war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, where Eritrean troops have been accused of acts of violence that may amount to war crimes or even genocide.. CSW's Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: "CSW welcomes the release of these Christians in Eritrea, who were detained without charge or trial, and should never have been incarcerated. More commonly though, they arrested individuals for undisclosed reasons. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Sie wurden ohne Anklage oder Urteil festgehalten. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. I canimagine a broadcast in the coming months containinginterviews with these faithful brothers and sisters. The trioidentified as Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariamhave been incarcerated in. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Male Jehovah's Witnesses between 18 and 40 often live in hiding, and if found by police, they face torture for objecting to military service. In 2013, Amnesty International researcher Claire Beston called Eritrea "one of the most repressive, secretive and inaccessible countries in the world.". ", Pichaud added that while the trio have been pressured to deny their faith in return for freedom, "they are not bitter against the authorities.". Turning to the issue of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, there has been no progress. Your email address will not be published. There are no reliable figures on religious affiliation, but it is estimated that 49% of the population are Christian and 49% are Sunni Muslim.[1]. ultimate responsibility for human rights violations that are allegedly being In a sudden turn of events, the man himself was put in prison. I am particularly concerned about the two refugee camps, which hosted over 25,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray region, Hitsats and Shemelba, and which were allegedly destroyed in attacks carried out by Eritrean and Ethiopian troops between November 2020 and January 2021, despite their protected humanitarian status under the 1951 Convention on the Protection of refugees. 1940s First communities of Jehovah's Witnesses are established in Eritrea. and orthodox backgrounds were recently released from three prisons in As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years.
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