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 in August by the Jehovah's Witnesses' Office of Public Information. The national service requirements oblige all secondary school students in the country to complete their final year at the Warsai Yekalo Secondary School, located in the Sawa military camp, and to undertake mandatory military training for approximately five months of that year. 24 left!!!! Eritrea is the center point of some of the most intense persecution of Jehovahs Witnesses in modern times. 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. Finally to the clandestine world of art fraud and African artefacts, which are being sold to unsuspecting buyers, thanks to the fake UNESCO stamp they . 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 . Saddleback Church doubles down on support for female pastors, Mormonisms slow shift away from demonizing working mothers, Faith leaders urge Biden to sign executive order for reparations study by Juneteenth, For many congregations, wiping out medical debt has become a popular calling, Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. Jehovah's Witnesses Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam were imprisoned in Eritrea since 1994. 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. My wife work in the same company as family members of one of the 3 brothers who have been in prison for so long time. Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, among others, have been imprisoned for over 20 years for their Christian faith. Thanks for your help Tortuga !!! They were held at the Sawa military training camp until 2017, when they were transferred to Mai Serwa prison, where they were briefly granted access to visitors for the first time since their imprisonment. My CO sentit to me. More commonly though, they arrested individuals for undisclosed reasons. The country is ruled by a totalitarian one-party dictatorship of Maoist inspiration. Today or rather yesterday is going to be a good day and one to remember for a long time. It hurt my heart to know that the best years of their lives were completely wasted in prison. If you have any questions about our services, or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us.. 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. Or is something happening on a global scale that we donot yet know about? See our advertising page if you would like more information. ", Pichaud added that while the trio have been pressured to deny their faith in return for freedom, "they are not bitter against the authorities.". war in Ethiopias Tigray region, where Eritrean troops have been accused of https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/#newsAlerts, Trimis de pe al meu Redmi Note 4 folosind Tapatalk, This so wonderful for our brothers!!!! I also ( suspiciously) wonder why this is happening now? As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years.In addition, 39 men and 10 women who are Witnesses are also imprisoned. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The Eritrean authorities will demonstrate their genuine commitment to human rights when they release those individuals arbitrarily held in Eritrean prisons and provide information about those who have . This is fantastically great news when so little news is good. I am concerned that the conditions in the camp have impact on the right to education. We send them this sms this morning and we are sure you would agree:Dear brothers, how wonderful Jehovah is. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In their August report, the Jehovah's Witnesses called on Eritrea to release the 52 prisoners, grant full citizenship rights to Jehovah's Witnesses, and permit conscientious objection to military service. Eritrea has not yet put in place an institutional and legal framework to uphold minimum human rights standards in a democratic society. CSW has been informed that 70 Christians from evangelical refugees from Hitsat and Shimelba camps are currently missing. In addition, 39 men and 10 women who are Witnesses are also imprisoned. The situation of detainees and political prisoners is particularly concerning. I urge the Eritrean authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all of those who remain in prison because of their faith or belief. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Most of the prisoners were freed from Mai Serwa and Adi Abeito prisons, near the capital, Asmara, on 1 February. 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 . Three Jehovah's Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been incarcerated for 25 years. She added that some Eritrean soldiers went from door-to-door, killing Tigrayan men and boys as young as 7 years old. On religious freedoms, I welcome the release of a large group of Christians. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. High Commissioner said many refugees appear to have been caught in crossfire, As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years. The national service requirements oblige all secondary school students in the country to complete their final year at the Warsai Yekalo Secondary School, located in the Sawa military camp, and to undertake mandatory military training for approximately five months of that year. ( 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. The authorities systematically issued Certificates of Completed National Service and often praised participants for their work. Three men, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been in prison for conscientious objection to compulsory military service since 17 September 1994. I recently spoke with an ex-prisoner that spent a couple of years in Sawa prison with Jehovah's Witnesses (including Isaac, Negede and Paulos). WARWICK, N.Y., Sept. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eritrea is the center point of some of the most intense persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in modern times. Of the Jehovahs Witnesses currently imprisoned, 16 are known to have been arrested for conscientious objection to military service. I wonder why they dont wear masks? Three young men; Isaac, Negede and Paulos; were 18 and 21 year old when they were arrested in September 24, 1994. We expect allcommunity members to be active publishers in their congregations,therefore, please do not apply for membership if you are not currently one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm so excited for them and happy for those that have been waiting and waiting for them to come home. On 28 January 2021, in my letter to the Government of Ethiopia, I called on the Ethiopian authorities to protect the human rights of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in the Tigray region, and to ensure respect for their rights under human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law. On 6 July 2017, the European Parliaments resolution on Eritrea, notably the cases of Abune Antonios and Dawit Isaak, condemned in the strongest terms Eritreas systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations, and called upon the Eritrean Government to put an end to detention of the opposition, journalists, religious leaders and innocent civilians. Alex Murdaugh trial: Murderer sentenced to consecutive life sentences after being found guilty. I cannot imagine how these dear ones will adjust after so long imprisoned. On 18 December 2020, I requested an invitation to undertake an official visit to Eritrea in my capacity as Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, Evangelical church redirects payments after CofE gay blessing vote, Evangelical church pursues alternative oversight after CofE same-sex blessing vote. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. In a sudden turn of events, the man himself was put in prison. 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. Three brothersPaulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariamhave been in prison since September 1994, and the government has held another nine brothers for at least ten years. 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. "They have never been charged nor given the opportunity to defend themselves in court. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Then from this day forward I will have a warm place in my heart for SARS-COVID-2. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Persecution in Eritrea intensified on October 25, 1994, about a year and a half after Eritrea became an independent country from Ethiopia. There he found himself with three WitnessesPaulos Eyasu, Negede Teklemariam, and Isaac Mogoswho had been incarcerated for their faith since 1994. In this oral update, I request the Eritrean authorities to give me full access to refugees and asylum seekers allegedly held in various prisons inside Eritrea. I also welcome the release, on 4 December 2020, of 24 Jehovah's Witnesses, including the three conscientious objectors, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been. The Parliament demanded that all prisoners of conscience in Eritrea be immediately and unconditionally released and that the Eritrean Government provide detailed information on the fate and whereabouts of all those deprived of physical liberty. 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. 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. "Some of those Witnesses have been imprisoned for more than 20 years. 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. In what could be an attempt to distract the attention of the international community from Eritreas role in the ongoing war in the Tigray region in neighboring Ethiopia, the Eritrean government last Monday released 21 female and 43 male prisoners from Mai Serwa and Adi Abeito prisons near the capital city of Asmara, CSW reported. Since gaining independence, Eritrea's government has required indefinite national service by physically able adults between 18 and 70 years of age. [4] General Assembly of the United Nations, Situation of human rights in Eritrea. Image copyright: Jehovah's Witnesses Office of Public Information. JWTalk - Jehovah's Witnesses Online Community [3] European Parliament, Resolution on the cases of Abune Antonios and Dawit Isaak (2017/2755(RSP)) July 6, 2017. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-8-2017-0309_EN.html. Please click here to learn how. 70 Christen mit orthodoxem und evangelischem Hintergrund sind in Eritrea aus dem Gefngnis entlassen worden. They were released after 26 years on February 5th, 2021. (845) 744-6000, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, who have been in prison in Eritrea since September 17, 1994. The freed prisoners include six women who were arrested on a street after worshipping in public.. 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. Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to work in government offices, and the state takes away their identity cards. Some Jehovahs Witness prisoners have been detained in metal shipping containers, while others were held in stone or metal buildings half buried in the ground. ( As I have their names memorized)! Esteemed Chair, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. Most of the prisoners were freed from Mai Serwa and Adi Abeito prisons, near the capital, Asmara, on 1 February. Eritrean officials declined to attend a July hearing before the commission, in which the prisoners' lawyers said they would like to discuss a resolution to the case. What is the source ? We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. Sixty-four of the Christians had no charges and some of them were jailed for worshipping in public.