Eritrean Sunday School Children Released from Custody, Church Leader Arrested
The last 30 from a group of 131 Sunday school leaders and children have been released from custody, but a further church leader has been arrested
The last 30 from a group of 131 Sunday school leaders and children have been released from custody, but a further church leader has been arrested, a UK-based Christian human rights charity reported Monday.
“While we are relieved all those arrested in February have now been released, this latest arrest of a church leader concerns us deeply,” stated Stuart Windsor, National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide. “The Eritrean regime seems to be pursuing with impunity an increasingly aggressive campaign against the churches.”
According to CSW, the children were attending their classes at an Eritrean Orthodox church in the capital Asmara when they were rounded up by police on Feb. 19. The children were then taken to a police station where their names and addresses were registered.
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After being held for nearly four hours, the children aged two to 14 were released and told to come back on the following Monday with their parents. Meanwhile, the remaining group of 30 children were transferred to Police Stations Number 7 and Number 4 where they were reportedly detained until the recent release.
In a further development of concern, CSW reported that a senior church leader has been “snatched” by police from the streets of the capital.
According to the human rights charity, Kidane Weldou, senior Pastor of Muluwengel (Full Gospel) church in Asmara, was stopped on the streets on Mar. 18 and taken into custody.
It was confirmed over the weekend that neither his family nor the Church have been informed of his whereabouts or of the charges against him.
Dr. Berhane Asmelash, co-ordinator of Release-Eritrea, an NGO campaigning for religious freedom in Eritrea, said: “I am saddened to see yet another arrest, which makes it clear that far from relenting on this, the Government of Eritrea is intensifying the purge. I hope all Eritreans, friends of Eritrea and the international community will take this up on behalf of the voiceless Eritrean Church.”
CSW reports that other senior figures from the same church have been in custody for almost 11 months.
