Eritrea: Christian Leader Dies in Captivity
Reverend Ghirmay Araya, a founding member of the Full Gospel Church in Eritrea, passed away earlier this month after two and a half years in prison.
Rev Girmay was arrested in 2021 and held in a maximum security prison. He was apparently suffering from diabetes and other conditions often linked to long-term imprisonment and torture.
He leaves behind a wife and five children.
On May 24, Eritrea celebrated its Independence Day. It became an independent country in 1993 and President Isayas Afewerki has governed Eritrea since then. This month marks 22 years since the government closed all churches outside of the Eritrean Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Lutheran churches who had not obeyed a 1997 order to apply for registration.
To this day, an unknown number of Christians who belong to closed churches remain in prison. Christians in Eritrea have no right to gather for worship, publish Christian books and magazines, produce Christian music or distribute Bibles and Christian tracts. They are not allowed to share their Christian faith with any other Eritrean at work, school or military camps. Doing this may land them in prison.
Believers in Eritrea continue to be arrested and detained frequently. Sometimes they are released, but many remain in prison for years.
Eritrea is number 4 on the 2024 World Watch List.
The month of June is One With Them 2024, when we focus on prayer for Christians in captivity. Visit onewiththem.ca to read more stories and to submit your prayer for Christian captives.
Pray
Join us in praying for Rev Ghirmay’s family and all those who remain imprisoned for their faith.
Pray also for other Christians and church leaders who have spent years in prison. These include known names like (not an exhaustive list):
- Dr. Kilfu Gebremeskel (Imprisoned since May 2004)
- Pastor Haile Nayzgi (Imprisoned since May 2004)
- Pastor Million Gebreselasie (Imprisoned since June 2004)
- Futsum Gebrenegus (Imprisoned since November 2004)
- Gebremedhin Gebregiorsis (Imprisoned since November 2004)
- Tekleab Menghisteab (Imprisoned since November 2004)
- Kidane Weldou (Disapeared in 2005, still thought to be imprisoned)
- Rev. Ogbamichael Teklehaimanot (Imprisoned since January 2005)
