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Some Eritrean Christians have been behind bars
for many years but despite the hardships have found
joy in knowing God’s purpose for their lives, writes
Tom Hardie
How do you survive 20
years in a brutal prison
environment where
torture and deprivation
are common-place? That was the
question I felt compelled to ask when
I met up with Release International’s
Eritrea partner, Dr Berhane Asmelash.
Dr Asmelash, who was himself
imprisoned in the 1980s, told me:
‘Once a Christian realises that they are
called by God to be a prisoner their
attitude changes completely and they
are able to survive.
‘If you recognise that God has taken
you into that place for a purpose then
you become strong and even joyful. It
also helps the wife or husband outside
to know that their loved one has been
called by God to this, otherwise they
can get very depressed.
At first the authorities put Christians
with other inmates but then they
realised that more and more prisoners
were coming to faith so they have now
put all the Christians together on their
own to stop them evangelising.
‘However, that has given them the
fellowship they have needed. They have
spiritual strength and want to survive.
‘So the church has grown in the prison.
When non-believers see the peace that
they have naturally they ask: how can
these people be happy in prison, and
even singing? So they are converted
and when they are released they then
become evangelists themselves!’
‘The good news has
gone into prisons and
the military where it is
harder to control.’
He said: ‘At the same time the church
outside has grown because believers
have seen that it is possible to survive
prison and also that their fellow
Christians believe enough to be willing
‘Having said that, it has not been easy.
They have missed family and friends
deeply. Those who have been in prison
for around 20 years may have missed
children growing up, time that you
cannot get back. It is really painful.’
That is on top of the physical
deprivations they have suffered. Dr
Asmelash said that prisoners could
be held in solitary in underground
cells. Sickness and lack of nutrition
through scarce and poor food were
common-place. He said that Christians
were no longer held in shipping
containers and the torture of believers
had stopped to a large extent, mainly
because many had died and news was
coming out about their deaths, which
the Government had wanted to keep
secret.
‘Being together as believers has helped.
HELPING
PRISONERS
OF FAITH