GSE ARRESTS EVANGELICALS AND JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000605

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E AND DRL/IRF
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2018
TAGS: PHUM KIRF PGOV ER
SUBJECT: GSE ARRESTS EVANGELICALS AND JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
DURING HOLIDAY SEASON

REF: ASMARA 604

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d).


1. (C) The Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE)
strengthened its efforts to clamp down on banned religious
groups during the month of December. For the past two
weeks, the GSE has rounded up leaders of evangelical
churches, including a prominent doctor closely associated
with the American-based Physicians for Peace program. The
GSE has also continued its arrests of members of the
Jehovah's Witness faith, calling 10 teachers this past
Tuesday and ordering them to report for imprisonment. End
Summary.


2. (C) Reverend Zecharias Abraham (protect) of the Mehrete
Yesus Church informed PolOff that no less than 17 leaders of
"non-compliant" churches had been rounded up by the GSE.
Included in this mix is Dr. Michael Mehari, chair of the
Department of Pediatrics at the Orotta School of Medicine in
Asmara. Dr. Mehari was a close associate of the Physicians
for Peace program, described as the "go to" person for
pediatrics. In response to Dr. Mehari's arrest, Minister of
Health Saleh Meky assured MedOff that the arrest was a
mistake. Nonetheless, Dr. Mehari continues to be detained.


3. (C) On December 23 the GSE ordered 10 Jehovah's Witnesses
lay leaders to turn themselves in. Thus far, two individuals
have complied. Post believes an Embassy FSN who received
this call is currently in hiding (reftel). According to
another FSN who is a Jehovah's Witness, the GSE has arrested
19 members thus far, including the FSN's husband
(incarcerated since October 23). The 19 exclude the 10 who
were ordered to turn themselves in on December 23 and consist
of 18 males and one female (authorities arrested the female
when her husband could not be located). According to the
FSN, the GSE has quietly been arresting Jehovah's Witnesses
since July 2008, arresting no more than three a month. The
recent arrests mark a new, bolder harassment strategy on the
part of the GSE. Thus far, the majority of those detained
have been held in Police Stations Two and Five.


4. (C) COMMENT: The renewed persecution of banned religious
groups may in part be due to recent indications of an
increasingly dissatisfied populace. The GSE crackdown could
be an effort to quell budding opposition from evangelicals,
who the government has previously characterized as being
subversive tools of the West.


5. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: Reverend Zecharias is currently in
the United States and will be in the Washington, D.C. area in
February. Zecharias has provided Post with instrumental
insight into religious dynamics in Eritrea and has expressed
interest in providing additional details to Washington on
religious freedom abuses. If interested in arranging a
meeting with Reverend Zecharias, contact PolOff Ajani
Husbands (HusbandsAB@state.gov). All communication regarding
Zecharias should be confidential. End Comment.
MCMULLEN