Since becoming an independent country in 1993, my country consistently and routinely harasses, imprisons, and tortures Jehovah’s Witnesses.

To date, at least 73 Jehovah’s Witnesses are in Eritrean prisons suffering harrowing conditions [1]. None have been charged or sentenced. Jehovah’s Witnesses were stripped of their citizenship and basic civil rights by presidential decree in October of 1994. However there is absolutely no legal framework how the government handles religious prisoners.

Three young men; Isaac, Negede and Paulos; were 18 and 21 year old when they were arrested in September 24, 1994. They are now in their late 30’s–early 40’s and still in prison.

I recently spoke with an ex-prisoner that spent a couple of years in Sawa prison with Jehovah’s Witnesses (including Isaac, Negede and Paulos). He told me how Jehovah’s Witnesses are subjected to special torture while in prison in order to force them to convert. Most Jehovah’s Witnesses are imprisoned for conscientiously objecting to military service. My friend, the ex-prisoner, was keen to mention that in a country like Eritrea where being a citizen and being a soldier are all the same, Jehovah’s Witnesses often don’t even get sufficient support and solidarity from fellow prisoners and society at large.

Every Eritrean should be outraged when innocent members of our society are subjected to inhumane torture and indefinitely imprisoned. It is our responsibility, as human beings and as Eritreans to at least stand in solidarity and be vocal in denouncing the atrocities that are being committed in our home country.

I would like to invite you to please consider publicly showing your stand and bringing to light the suffering and the exceptional persecution Jehovah’s Witnesses in Eritrea by signing the pledge I have made available online here (https://www.causes.com/campaigns/82858-show-solidarity-with-persecuted-jehovahs-witnesses-eritrea).