EritreaMagos Solomon Semere had been in jail for over four years for worshipping in an outlawed Protestant church.  He was told that, if he signed a statement renouncing Christ, he would be given medical treatment for his injuries and illnesses.  He refused, even though three others who signed were released.

Last week, Mr Semere died at age 30 from torture and pneumonia.

A member of the Rema Church, Semere had first been jailed in the fall of 2001, when he was arrested for evangelizing and starting meetings for worship with six other Christians.

“The government gave hard-labor work punishment to believers for preaching the gospel and starting fellowships,” a Christian once jailed in Assab with Semere told Compass. “If they persisted, they would be kept imprisoned for ‘violating’ the government law.”

Semere had been released after 18 months in prison, only to be re-arrested three months later with a large group of Protestants caught worshipping together in July 2002.
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Semere had been engaged to marry shortly before his July 2002 arrest, but he was refused permission to see his fiancée again during his years in prison.

He is the third Eritrean Christian known to have been killed in custody during the past five months.

Since May 2002, all churches except Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Evangelical Lutheran have been illegal in Eritrea.  It is believed that many hundreds of Christians, mostly Pentecostal and charismatic, are presently jailed without charge and held in appalling conditions.

Even legal religions are subject to government harassment.  Just over two months ago, the government took over the finances and administration of the Eritrean Orthodox Church.

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