ERITREA | OCT. 20, 2023 — Former Prisoner Grateful for Prayers
A Christian imprisoned in Eritrea several times for his faith expressed gratitude to the global body of Christ for their ongoing support in prayer: “You have been praying for us, and I want to thank you,” Joseph said.
He also shared how communism is Eritrea’s most significant challenge and that its president, who trained in China, launched a brutal crackdown on the Christian community in 2004, closing most churches and arresting many Christian leaders. Those imprisoned without trial are held in inhumane conditions, including metal shipping containers. “Prisons in Eritrea … are torture chambers,” Joseph said. Front-line workers believe 350-400 Eritrean Christians remain in prison, but the actual figure is unknown because officials will not release information on prisoners or allow outside contact. But Brother Joseph stated that despite the pressures in his country, “We praise God because the number of believers is growing every day.”