Eritrea arrests 80 during church ceremony – opposition
May 6, 2007 (ASMARA) — Eritrea arrested some 80 people including several U.S. citizens in a raid during a church ceremony last week, Christian and opposition groups said.
“A Presbyterian Church in Eritrea was raided during Sunday service on the 29th of April,” said a statement on U.K.-based opposition Web site, www.release-eritrea.org.uk.
“Following the raid, Pastor Zecharias Abraham and around 80 of his parishioners were detained. Among the worshippers on the day were some foreign nationals at least three of them Americans,” it added.
Information Minister Ali Abdu did not deny or confirm that security forces stormed Mehret Yesus Church in Asmara.
The Red Sea state usually denies claims by foreign-based groups, saying the world has long been prejudiced against it in favour of arch-foe Ethiopia.
“We will not respond to trash statements. No body has a right to question our day-to-day internal affairs,” Abdu told Reuters by telephone on Sunday.
The United States Embassy in Asmara was not immediately available to comment.
About half Eritrea’s 4.6 million people are Christian and half Muslim. The government denies persecuting anyone on the basis of faith, but has been accused by human rights groups and the U.S. State Department of violating religious freedoms.
Eritrea recently came under criticism by foreign religious groups’ over the appointment of a new head of the Eritrean Orthodox Church who called it a sign of growing state interference in church affairs.
(Reuters)