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Catholic Bishop, Priest Freed After Months of Detention in Eritrea

Bishop Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim of Eritrea's Segheneity Eparchy. Credit: InfoVaticana

A Catholic Bishop and a Priest arrested and detained in Eritrea on October 15 have been set free, a source has told ACI Africa.

In a note to ACI Africa Thursday, December 29, the source in the Northeastern African country confirmed the release of Bishop Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim and Fr. Mehereteab Stefanos, who, until his detention, was serving as Parish Priest of St Michael's Parish of Segheneity Eparchy.

“Bishop Fikremariam and Fr Mehereteab were liberated from prison yesterday,” the source told ACI Africa. 

The source added, “Thank you for your prayers and support.”

However, the source did not mention whether the other Priest, Abbot Abraham, a member of Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (Franciscan Friars) was released.

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On October 15, security agents arrested Bishop Tsalim at Asmara international airport after arriving from Europe, BBC News reported

Two Catholic Priests were also among those arrested and detained at Adi Abeto prison alongside Bishop Tsalim, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Agenzia Fides, reported October 18.

Speaking about the reasons for their arrest and detention, a source told ACI Africa, “We really don't know. But they spoke about human rights violations that are going on in the country right now.”

The members of the Clergy are being accused of highlighting violations of human rights in Eritrea in their homilies, the source further said.

The human rights violations, the source added, include “Imprisonment of parents (women and men), mobilization of deserved army people, young people by force etc. to the war fronts, closing homes, (and) confiscation of animals for those people who have refused to go to war” among others.

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In May, officials of several United Kingdom-based Christian entities expressed concern about “continuing unjust” human rights violations in Eritrea. 

In a letter sent to the Eritrean Ambassador in the United Kingdom and Ireland, officials of the Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Church in Chains - Ireland, Release Eritrea, Human Rights Concern - Eritrea, and the Eritrean Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom highlighted multiple indicators of human rights violation and said the situation deters Eritreans from enjoying their independence.

“We remain concerned at the continuing unjust, arbitrary, and indefinite detention of tens of thousands of Eritrean citizens in harsh conditions, including hundreds of Christians imprisoned solely on account of their faith,” officials of the Christian entities said in their May 20 letter addressed to Ambassador Estifanos Habtemariam Ghebreyesus.

In August, the government of Eritrea took over the Hagaz Agro-Technical School (HATS), a Catholic learning institution that the Brothers of the Christian Schools (LaSalle Brothers) established and were running.

The Hagaz Agro-Technical School “has been providing training in farm machinery, rearing of crops and animals, as well as soil conservation for the last 23 years,” the August 24 BBC report indicated.

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These latest seizures are part of the confiscations that have been going on in Eritrea since 2019, the government citing a 1995 regulation that limited activities of religious institutions.

Catholic Bishops in the Northeastern African nation opposed the regulation, arguing that the Church’s social services are not in opposition to the government.

In October, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and the Human Rights Concern Eritrea (HRCE) condemned the arrest and detention of Bishop Tsalim and the two Priests.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.