Release and Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali call on No 10 to help stop imprisonment and torture of Christia

Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali is calling on the British government to put pressure on Eritrea to release thousands of Christians who have been jailed for their faith. 

Bishop Michael and Release International presented a 43,000-signature petition to the Eritrean ambassador and to Gordon Brown [Jan 15] calling for an end to imprisonment without trial and torture in Eritrea.   ‘This petition expresses concern for the Christians who are being kept in prison, in underground cells and shipping containers in the heat of the day and the cold of the night. It seems inhuman and barbaric,' said Bishop Michael, who resigned his post as Bishop of Rochester to campaign for persecuted Christians.

‘This petition expresses concern for the Christians who are being kept in prison, in underground cells and shipping containers in the heat of the day and the cold of the night. It seems inhuman and barbaric,' said Bishop Michael, who resigned his post as Bishop of Rochester to campaign for persecuted Christians.    ‘43,000 is a lot of people. The Eritrean government must take note of what all these people are saying. Christians pose no threat to their country,' he added.   Berhane Asmelash, who was tortured and jailed for 11 months in Eritrea during the civil war, and is still wanted there, also stood vigil outside the Embassy, as the petition was handed in. Now a Church of England curate living in exile in the UK, he described being led to a darkened torture room:   ‘There is a place where they torture people. The torture method was called Number 8. They put a log under my knees, lifted the log and overturned me, until my head was down and my feet were up. And they started to beat my feet.   ‘I cried out: "Jesus, you suffered for my sin, why do you allow them to torture me?" And I started to say "In the name of Jesus, stop it, stop it!"   ‘Maybe they thought I was crazy, but they untied me. I remained there for 11 months before I was released.'   Release International believes the persecution is getting worse. The Eritrean authorities tolerate a handful of faiths, but keep them on a tight rein. They closed churches in 2002, and have rounded up pastors and church members, regarding the educated and independent thinkers as a threat to the single-party Marxist-style state.   ‘Many Christians have lost their lives because of starvation and torture,' said Berhane Asmelash. ‘Prisoners are not allowed visitors. Some of them have been in prison for seven or eight years without trial.'   The petition is the culmination of a major campaign by Release International, which serves persecuted Christians worldwide, and Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali.   Release CEO Andy Dipper said: ‘It's absolutely vital we demonstrate to the Eritrean government the strength of concern across the country of people who are appalled that Christians are imprisoned often in shipping containers for no other reason than having a faith.   ‘As 10 Downing Street also gets this petition I hope the British government will take this matter up with their Eritrean counterparts and this will be a stepping stone to transformation in the way the Eritrean authorities treat their own people.   ‘Many thanks to everyone who put their names to this petition. Please keep speaking up for the persecuted.'   Release is helping Eritrean refugees start their own small businesses, and is supporting churches in refugee camps by giving them Bibles and Christian resources.   Through its international network of missions Release supports Christians imprisoned for their faith and their families in 30 nations. It supports church workers, pastors and their families, and provides training, Bibles, Christian literature and broadcasts. Release is a member of the UK organisations Global Connections, the Evangelical Alliance and the Micah Network.   ENDS