Eritrea (MNN) ― Two more Christians have died in Eritrea's military-styled confinement. Glenn Penner with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says that makes a total of three believers who have died in custody since October.
37-year-old Mogos Hagos Kiflom and 42-year-old Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom both died in the northeastern Mitire Military Confinement camp earlier this month.
According to a Compass Direct report, Asgedom died on January 16 from ongoing physical torture and complications related to his diabetes.
Kiflom also died recently after undergoing torture for refusing to recant his faith.
The ongoing persecution has brought glaring attention and international pressure over humanitarian violations in the country.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has repeatedly recommended that Eritrea be listed in the U.S. State Department's "countries of particular concern" (CPC) -- the blacklist of countries with severe religious freedom violations. The US. Department of State re-designated Eritrea a CPC in 2006.
Yet, little can be done. Penner says, "Eritrea has denied that there were any Christians in prison at all. They refuse to acknowledge that they are persecuting evangelical Christians. The reason they are able to deny this is because none of these men and women have even been brought to trial."
Some 2,000 Eritrean Christians are believed to be jailed without a legal charge because of their religious beliefs.
The impact on the church? It's driven believers deeper underground. How can we help? "Pray for those that are in prison," Penner asks. "There are believers being tortured in some of the most inhumane ways. Pray for them that they'll continue to hold firm in their faith and that God will make Himself real to them. Pray for the families as well. Many of them have no idea where their loved ones are or even if they're still alive."
Pray that those in mourning will find peace in knowing that those who suffered with Christ will be glorified with Him. Pray for the release of Christians imprisoned in Eritrea.
