On 22 August, the United Nations International Day for the Commemoration of the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, Christian organisation, Open Doors issued a statement announcing that it joined the Voices 4 Justice consortium of charities in calling for the immediate release of seven Eritrean Christian leaders who have been imprisoned for 21 years.

“Not one has been charged or brought before a court. They have had no legal representation, and their families have not been permitted to visit them. Their plight epitomises the suffering of thousands of prisoners of conscience currently held without charge or trial in Eritrea”, pointed out Tiffany Barrens, Open Doors’ international global advocacy director.

On 21 August, Voices 4 Justice organised a peaceful protest outside the Eritrean embassy in London. The protesters prayed together before delivering a letter to the ambassador.

“A hindrance to the new national identity”

According to Open Doors, the seven church leaders are believed to be held in solitary confinement at the Wengel Mermera Criminal Investigation Centre, a maximum-security prison in Asmara also known as Karchele.

They were all arrested during morning raids, at police checkpoints or out on the street.

The statement explains that “the specific reasons for the arrests of the pastors are unclear”.

However, “according to one country expert, the government views churches, especially Orthodox and Protestant churches ‘as a hindrance to the new national identity the ruling group wants to create in the country”, they add.

“Anything done by any churches or its members seen as a threat to the absolute control currently in place will be subjected to punishment”, underlines Open Doors.

Eritrea, the ‘North Korea of Africa’

Eritrea, often called the ‘North Korea of Africa’, ranks sixth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List.

“The government exercises absolute autocracy and puts extreme pressure on Christian communities. The country is infamous for holding prisoners in shipping containers”, reads the statement.

It only officially recognises four religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Sunni Islam, the Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea.

Despite this, three of the seven leaders who have been in prison for two decades are Orthodox priests.

A research by Open Doors shows that over 120 Christians were detained in Eritrea without any charges between January and May 2024.

Moreover, on 24 April 2024, over 35 Christians were arrested at their homes during coordinated nighttime raids, in the towns of Agordat, Barentu and Teseney in western and central Eritrea.

About Voices 4 Justice

Voices 4 Justice is a new campaign launched by the Religious Liberty Partnership, a collaboration of multiple organisations from various countries. It aims to highlight specific violations of religious freedom.

The consortium of charities includes Open Doors, CSW, Jubilee Campaign USA and NL, the Stefanos Foundation, Christian Daily International (media), VOM New Zealand and Poland, HMK Switzerland and 21 Wilberforce, among many others.