Church leader's home raided, ten arrested


Worship at the Full Gospel Church in Asmara
Image of video from
Gospel Light Eritrean Baptist Church
According to Open Doors Switzerland, ten more Christians were arrested last week after Eritrean security forces raided the home of Pastor Tewelde Hailom, the founding elder of the Full Gospel Church in Asmara. According to the report, three people were arrested on October 14. Seven others were taken into custody two days later. Pastor Hailom, who is suffering from an ulcer, was taken to prison, but remains under house arrest. It is unknown at this time where the ten believers, including two women, are being detained.

Please pray for their release. Pray that they will have courage in the face of the hardship that they will be facing. Pray for their families during this time of uncertainty over the fate of their loved ones.

For more information on the severe persecution facing Christians in Eritrea, go to the Eritrea Country Report.

October 21, 2009
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Eritrea Profile

Location
Africa

Population
5,939,484 (July 2011 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Tigrinya (55), Tigre (30), Saho (4), Kunama (2), Rashaida (2), Bilen (2), other (5)

Religion (%)
Muslim (50.26), Christian (47.31), Non-religious (1.87), Ethnoreligionist (0.56)

Leader
President Isaias Afworki

Government type
Transitional government

Legal system
Primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957 with revisions; new civil, commercial and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; government also issues unilateral proclamations setting laws and policies; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Islamic law; has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction.

Statistics provided by Operation World, CIA World Factbook and a WEA-RLC Research & Analysis Report sponsored by the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Commission (RLC).

Vidoes:

Persecution Report
February 2011

Thousands of Christians imprisoned and tortured
Testimonies of Eritrean Christians

Audio:

Jesus Freaks
Eritrea

The Overcomers
Eritrea

Persecution News - Eritrea

Three Christians die in military camps
(November 24, 2011)

Mass arrests of Christians continue
(August 11, 2011)

Mass arrest of Christians
(January 13, 2011)

Christian woman dies in prison
(May 06, 2010)

Dozens of Christians imprisoned
(April 08, 2010)

Imprisoned Christian dies; other believers released
(March 11, 2010)

Fourteen Christians released; others arrested
(February 25, 2010)

> View all stories from Eritrea