According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, despite their young age, the students have experienced the same lack of civil protections experienced by adult Christians imprisoned by Eritrean authorities for similar activities. “Secondary school students in Eritrea are under the age of 17, but like adult Christians, these 27 children have been sent to a prison housing long-term prisoners,” says Representative Foley. “All this has happened without them being given a trial and without them even being formally charged with any crime,” says Representative Foley.  

Representative Foley says that Eritrean authorities crack down heavily on students engaging in Christian activities because of how well-trained even young students are in spreading the faith.  

“In the Eritrean church, teenagers don’t just attend activities organized by adults; they themselves organize many activities, because they are highly effective evangelists and disciple makers,” she says. “When the Eritrean government put most pastors in prison in the early 2000’s, women and children were the ones who had to keep the church alive. The pastors had trained them well, and in fact the pastors still continue to pray for them even while they are in prison. The women and children have done a great job carrying on the work of the church—but they’ve also had to pay the same price as the pastors: being sent to jail when their Christian activities are discovered by authorities.” 

Representative Foley notes that in a separate case, 17 women were also recently arrested for Christian activity and sent to Mai Serwa prison, a facility known for harsh treatment of inmates. 

On May 22, 2002, Eritrean authorities ordered the closure of all non-Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran churches. Representative Foley says that since then, Christians from banned churches  have been arrested and imprisoned without being formally charged or tried. “Contact with family members or attorneys is impossible. Sentences are open-ended. That’s why Eritrea is rightfully called the ‘North Korea of Africa’ and is continually ranked as one of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world.” 

Representative Foley says that her organization is working with its contacts in the region to gather the names and prison addresses of the latest prisoners. But she urges Christians to set aside time this week to write letters of encouragement to the Eritrean Christians who have been in prison for as many as 20 years, whose prison addresses who are already known and posted on the Voice of the Martyrs Korea website at https://vomkorea.com/en/prisoner-profiles/ . 

“There are five Eritrean Christians currently listed on our website to whom letters can be sent right away: Mussie Ezaz, a prisoner for Christ since 2007; Kidane Weldou, a prisoner for Christ since 2005; and Haile Nayzgi, Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, and Meron Gebreselasie, all prisoners for Christ since 2004.” 

Representative Foley says that even in cases where prison officials refuse to deliver the letters to the prisoners, the letters still make a difference—even for the other Christians in prison who receive no letters.  

“When a surge of letters arrives for one Christian prisoner, it shows the prison guards that Christians around the world are watching closely how the Eritrean government is treating Christian prisoners,” says Representative Foley. “The Lord sometimes uses letter writing campaigns to keep the Christian prisoners safe.” 

She calls the survival of the imprisoned Eritrean Christians a “daily miracle”. 

“Many of the Christians are locked in shipping containers in the middle of the desert,” says Representative Foley. “The shipping containers become super-heated during the day and frigid during the night. Although each shipping container is small, twenty to thirty prisoners are sometimes crammed into one container. There is only one bucket in the corner for human waste, and prisoners are only allowed outside twice per day.” 

Representative Foley reports that prisoners are regularly tortured. 

“Prisoners are tortured so brutally and for such a long time that they are released with permanent disabilities like paralysis,” Representative Foley explains. “Some die from torture wounds; others are casually executed.” 

She says despite this, the Eritrean church continues to prosper. 

“Eritrean Christians are inspired by the faithful witness of the pastors in prison. The pastors could be released from prison by signing a document saying they’ll stop evangelizing and stop attending unregistered churches. However, the pastors refuse to sign and instead they stay in prison and pray for the women and children to carry on the work of the church,” Representative Foley explains. “We believe the women and children sent to prison this month for carrying on the work of the church will also stay strong in their faith in prison, because of the example the pastors have set for them, and the prayers the pastors are praying for them.” 

Voice of the Martyrs Korea administers a fund to provide ongoing support to families of Eritrean martyrs and Christian prisoners. Churches and individuals interested in making a donation to VOMK’s Eritrea Fund can do so at www.vomkorea.com/en/donate (select “Eritrea” from the donation option menu) or via electronic transfer to:  

국민은행 463501-01-243303 

예금주: (사)순교자의소리 

Please include the phrase “Eritrea” on the transfer.