{"id":47014,"date":"2023-06-07T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-07T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=47014"},"modified":"2023-06-07T14:04:06","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T05:04:06","slug":"vomk-report-258","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2023\/06\/07\/vomk-report-258\/","title":{"rendered":"ERITREA: 2 PASTORS BEGIN THEIR 19TH YEAR IN PRISON THIS MONTH"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”47003″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”During the early morning hours of May 23, 2004, two Eritrean pastors were each arrested by Eritrean authorities for their roles in leading churches in \u201cillegal\u201d evangelical Christian denominations. June marks the beginning of the 19th year in prison for the pastors, Haile Nayzgi and Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel. Christian persecution ministry Voice of the Martyrs Korea is calling on Christians around the world to mark the anniversary by sending each of the pastors a letter in prison this month to let them know that they are not forgotten. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>All of Eritrea\u2019s evangelical churches were closed by government decree on May 15, 2002<\/span>,\u201d says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span>.<\/span> Hyun Sook Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>At that time the church groups were given an application form for government registration. The Full Gospel Church filled out the form and returned it to the appropriate offices, but no reply was ever received.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Numerous governments and human rights groups have documented that j<\/span>ailed Protestants <\/span>in Eritrea <\/span>are routinely subjected to physical beatings and severe psychological pressure to deny their religious beliefs. Police and military authorities continue to demand the prisoners return to one of the three \u201cofficial\u201d Christian denominations recognized by the government. But <\/span>according to Representative Foley, <\/span>even the legally recognized denominations\u2013the nation\u2019s historic Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches\u2013have come under government disfavor, incurring threats and even jailing by security police officials.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”47016″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that Voice of the Martyrs organizations worldwide began urging Christians to write regular letters of encouragement to <\/span>Haile Nayzgi and Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel<\/span> since they were first imprisoned.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pastor <\/span>Haile Nayzgi was the leader of Eritrea\u2019s Full Gospel Church, comprised of 120 to 150 house meeting groups<\/span> which were ordered closed by the government decree on <\/span>May 15, 2002. <\/span>Pastor Nayzgi <\/span>is married and has three children. He was previously an accountant with World Evangelical Alliance. During his incarceration, Haile has been refused personal contact with his family. <\/span>\u201cF<\/span>amily and friends went to take food and clothing to the prison <\/span>to Pastor Nayzgi <\/span>on August 24, 2004, <\/span>but <\/span>they were told that he was no longer there<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>She says he <\/span>has been moved to various locations since his arrest, but the actual charges against him have not been released.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, <\/span>Pastor <\/span>Nayzgi\u2019s wife was warned <\/span>that <\/span>she might also be arrested, <\/span>prompting her<\/span> and the children to flee<\/span> the country<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>After an arduous journey, they reached another country, where they have been safely living for the past several years<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>VOM has been supporting them and visiting <\/span>them <\/span>regularly.<\/span>\u201d She says that Voice of the Martyrs received a <\/span>message from <\/span>Pastor Nayzgi <\/span>smuggled out of Eritrea<\/span> in <\/span>which he <\/span>thanked VOM for support<\/span>ing<\/span> his family. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>It was encouraging for him to know they were well while he remains in prison<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, a leading figure of Full Gospel Church of Eritrea, <\/span>was <\/span>founder and senior pastor of Southwest Full Gospel Church and member of the executive committee to the Full Gospel Church of Eritrea<\/span>. He was taken away from his home <\/span>in Asmara Gejeret<\/span> at 5 a.m. <\/span>on May 23, 2004. <\/span>According to Representative Foley, <\/span>Dr. Gebremeskel was a mathematics lecturer, department and faculty head at the University of Asmara until 1999, when he became a full-time pastor at the Southwest Full Gospel Church. He has a Ph.D. in mathematics from Chicago University. <\/span>Representative Foley says that h<\/span>is wife and four children have not been able to visit him.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”47007″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”(from file) A photo of Pastor Haile Nayzgi before his arrest in May 2004. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”47009″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”(from file) A photo of Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel before his arrest in May 2004. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]About 2,000 Eritrean Christians are believed to be under arrest because of their religious beliefs, held in police stations, military camps and prisons in 12 known locations across Eritrea. <\/span>Pastor Nayzgi<\/span> and <\/span>Dr. Gebremeskel <\/span>are two of an estimated <\/span>28 <\/span>pastors <\/span>being held.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to board chair Foley, many of Eritrea\u2019s evangelical pastors remain imprisoned without formal charges or trials, locked in shipping containers in the Mai Serwa prison camps. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>These metal shipping containers sit in the middle of the desert and become super-heated during the day and frigid during the night<\/span>,\u201d says Representative <\/span>Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cAlthough each shipping container is small and can only fit ten to twelve people, twenty to thirty people are sometimes crammed into one container<\/span>. <\/span>There is only one bucket in the corner for human waste, and prisoners are only allowed outside twice per day.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative <\/span>Foley reports that prisoners are regularly tortured.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cPrisoners are tortured so brutally and for such a long time that they are released with permanent disabilities like paralysis,\u201d board chair Foley explains. \u201cSome die from torture wounds; others are casually executed.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Despite this, the Eritrean church continues to prosper.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Eritrean Christian knows they can be released from prison by signing a document saying they\u2019ll stop evangelizing and attending unregistered churches. However, many Eritrean Christians choose to remain faithful to Christ in prison,\u201d <\/span>Representative <\/span>Foley explains. \u201cBut these faithful Christians <\/span>like <\/span>Pastor Nayzgi<\/span> and <\/span>Dr. Gebremeskel<\/span> have been in prison <\/span>now <\/span>for <\/span>19 years<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”47012″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”(From file) Shipping containers in a desert in Eritrea. Prisoners like Pastor Haile Nayzgi and Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel are often imprisoned in such containers for more than a decade. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Instructions and prison addresses for writing the two pastors, along with other imprisoned Christians around the world, can be found on Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s website at <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/prisoner-profiles\/<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that information from former prisoners indicates that the Eritrean prisoners are able to receive at least some of the letters. \u201cA guard or prison official might even just say something like, \u2018Why are you receiving letters from Korea?\u2019, and it lets the pastors know that they are not forgotten around the world. It even gives them an opportunity to testify about the love of Christ and the body of the Christ,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cAt minimum, it also puts prison guards on notice that they are being watched by Christians around the world.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Voice of the Martyrs Korea also administers a fund to provide ongoing support to families of Eritrea\u2019s Christian martyrs and prisoners of faith. Churches and individuals interested in making a monthly donation or one-time gift to VOMK\u2019s Eritrea Fund can do so at <\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/donation<\/a><\/span> or via electronic transfer to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\uad6d\ubbfc\uc740\ud589<\/span> 463501-01-243303<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\uc608\uae08\uc8fc<\/span>: (<\/span>\uc0ac<\/span>)<\/span>\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please include the phrase \u201cEritrea\u201d on the transfer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”47003″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”During the early morning hours of May 23, 2004, two Eritrean pastors were each arrested by Eritrean authorities for their roles in leading churches in \u201cillegal\u201d evangelical …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":47004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47014"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47024,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47014\/revisions\/47024"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}