When Jehovahs Witnesses called on him, he told them that he had met Witnesses in his homeland. "They have never been charged nor given the opportunity to defend themselves in court. Thomas called on the international community to press Eritrea for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained arbitrarily on account of their religion or belief., We also call for urgent action to arrest the unfolding crisis in Tigray, including by imposing arms embargoes on the warring parties, and sanctions on the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea, who bear ultimate responsibility for human rights violations that are allegedly being committed with impunity by their respective forces.. 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 . Amazing news! It was very painful to lose such a friend. Today or rather yesterday is going to be a good day and one to remember for a long time. We offer publicity space for Catholic groups/organisations. I also received first-hand accounts of allegations of grave human rights and humanitarian law violations, including extra judicial killings, targeted abductions and forced return of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers to Eritrea, allegedly by Eritrean forces. Jehovahs Witnesses behind bars: some statistics. For more details about imprisoned Jehovahs Witnesses, seehttps://hrwf.eu/prisoners-database/. See brochure: SPECIAL REPORT: The Persecution of Jehovahs Witnesses in Eritrea.. I also received first-hand accounts of allegations of grave human rights and humanitarian law violations, including extra judicial killings, targeted abductions and forced return of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers to Eritrea, allegedly by Eritrean forces. Is this video confirmed ? I am also concerned of the imapact of the national serice on the right to educaiton of Eritrean students. The country lacks rule of law, a constitution and an independent judiciary to enforce the protection of and respect for human rights. 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. In a sudden turn of events, the man himself was put in prison. 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Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The practice of arbitrary and incommunicado detentions in Eritrea has serious impact on the life of many Eritreans. This week marked 25 years in prison without charges or trial for three men in Eritrea. Eritreas president, Isaias Afewerki, is a member of the Eritrean Orthodox Church in Asmara belonging to the largest among the only three Christian denominations allowed to function in the country. Made me think of Joseph in prison, and how we never know what can happen. The releases also coincide with reports However, our community is not an official website of Jehovah's Witnesses. Justice for Eritrea political prisoners | FairPlanet 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. Paulos Eyasu, Negede Teklemariam, and Isaac Mogos are Jehovah's Witnesses and have been imprisoned because of their strongly held religious beliefs. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1991 after 30 years of continuous armed struggle by the Eritrean Liberation Front. 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. I too was thinking about that same thing, what significance is this for Jehovah? They are now in their late 30's-early 40's and still in prison. We are a pro-JW community maintained by brothers and sisters around the world. Three Jehovah's Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been incarcerated for 25 years. "We feel deeply for Isaac, Negede, and Paulos, who have suffered harsh conditions for more than half their lives for refusing military service," Jehovah's Witnesses spokesperson Gilles Pichaud told Newsweek. Citing eyewitnesses he met during a recent visit to Mai Aini, the I hope the Eritrean authorities will cooperate with my mandate and I am still awaiting their response. In a 1994 decree, President Isaias Afwerki revoked Jehovah's Witnesses' citizenship because they remained neutral during the fight for independence, did not participate in the 1993 referendum, and conscientiously objected to military service. By See our advertising page if you would like more information. Wizieni za wiar Erytrea BIBLIOTEKA INTERNETOWA Stranicy As of September 17, 2019, three of the Witnesses, Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos, and Negede Teklemariam, have been unjustly incarcerated for 25 years. 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. The country is ruled by a totalitarian one-party dictatorship of Maoist inspiration. Around 3,000 former residents of Shimelba and Hitsat have reportedly managed to reach Mai Aini, one of the two remaining camps for Eritrean refugees in Tigray. Reports indicate that, in recent weeks, Eritrea has released 70 jailed Christians of evangelical and orthodox who were held in three prisons. forcibly returned to Eritrea from two camps in Tigray, many of whom were allegedly 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 held for 26 years, and whose cases were highlighted by the former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea in her statement during the They may be third world/developing countries, but youd be shocked how wide-spread cellph. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Funny story, last several days they were on my mind more than usual. This week marked 25 years in prison without charges or trial for three men in Eritrea. 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 "I was with him the night before they arrested him," said Eyasu's friend, who asked for anonymity for protection. This is awesome news. 25 padziernika 1994 roku prezydent Afewerki wyda dekret, ktry pozbawi wiadkw Jehowy praw obywatelskich, poniewa w roku 1993 nie wzili udziau w referendum . As a result, Witnesses are not allowed to hold government identity cards or business licenses, or to complete high school. Finally, since my appointment, I have not yet had the opportunity to meet with Eritrean officials. On Dec. 4, the government released 24 Jehovah's Witnesses, including conscientious objectors Paulos Eyasu, Isaac Mogos and Negede Teklemariam, who had been held for 26 years. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the US government: [1] For more religious statistics, see U.S. Department of State, Office of International Religious Freedom, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Report on international Religious Freedom: Eritrea 2018, 2018. https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-report-on-international-religious-freedom/eritrea/. He noted their honesty and that they . Paulos Eyassu, Isaac Mogos, Negede Teklamarium most of all. And the e re at from a list. ICN aims to provide speedy and accurate news coverage of all subjects of interest to Catholics and the wider Christian community. These Jehovah's Witnesses Have Been Imprisoned in Eritrea - Newsweek ( As I have their names memorized)! In my update today, I will focus on the (a) the human rights of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in the context of the ongoing Tigray crisis in Ethiopia, which added a new complicated dynamic in monitoring the human rights of the Eritrean people, and (b) the progress made in relation to the benchmarks set out in the reports of my predecessor. These are other examples of numerous cases of individuals who are currently languishing in Eritrean prisons, with no prospect of release. Interesting article from the Experiences of Jehovahs Witnesses series. On 27 January, six female prisoners who were detained in 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 October 2020. ", Pichaud added that while the trio have been pressured to deny their faith in return for freedom, "they are not bitter against the authorities.". This year has really had a lot of unexpected events. And the e re at from a list. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. [3], Presented to the UN Human Rights Council on 16 May 2019, the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea stated that Jehovahs Witnesses face severe persecution, including denial of citizenship and travel papers, for their political neutrality and conscientious objection to military service. Turning to the issue of the human rights situation in Eritrea, since October 2020, I have seen no concrete evidence of progress or actual improvement in the human rights situation in the country. that they mark the latest effort by the Eritrean regime to distract international ( sort of). Search Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY 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 27 January 2021, six female prisoners detained for worshipping in public in September 2020 in Dekemhare, south-east of Asmara, were also released. . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". "Some of those Witnesses have been imprisoned for more than 20 years. . Eritrea has not yet put in place an institutional and legal framework to uphold minimum human rights standards in a democratic society. The new president declared that Eritrean-born Jehovahs Witnesses were no longer considered citizens primarily because they stood firm to their position of Christian neutrality by refusing to take part in National Service. We send them this sms this morning and we are sure you would agree:Dear brothers, how wonderful Jehovah is. A Quarter Century Unjustly Imprisoned in Eritrea - PR Newswire Special Procedures, 46rd Session of the Human Rights Council. That was the last time I saw my friend. Prior to enforcing conscription, Eritrean authorities had provided genuine alternatives with civilian service. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Since I started my mandate on 1 November 2020, I am monitoring the ongoing Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, which erupted on 4 November 2020, and its impact on the Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers. in Tigray. 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. 70 Christians freed from prison in Eritrea | gatewaynews.co.za These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Known as the Tigray War, the armed conflict has been ongoing since last November between the Tigray Regional Government (led by the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front) and forces supportive of the Ethiopian government, which include military forces from Eritrea. 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.