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Eritrean Christian Mogos Solom Semere was only 25 and about to get married when he was arrested by Eritrean officials and put in prison for the “crime” of evangelism. He was told that he would be released if only he denied Christ. He refused. After several years in prison he caught pneumonia. Again he was given a choice: deny Christ and you will get medical treatment. Again, he refused. Weakened from severe torture, his body succumbed to the pneumonia, and Mogos died in prison on 15 February 2007.
The post-communist Eritrean government is cracking down hard on churches, especially evangelical ones, but even Christians from registered churches can face harassment and persecution. Some 2,000 Christians are believed to be imprisoned, many of them without ever having been officially charged and tried. Many are held in metal shipping containers or underground prisons, in which up to 100 prisoners are locked in utter darkness. Torture is common, and some die during their imprisonment; others lose their eyesight because of the prolonged darkness, and some become paralysed because of torture and beatings.
While the Eritrean constitution provides for freedom of religion, since 2001 only Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Eritrean Orthodox and Islamic groups have been allowed to operate. The government-controlled media characterises evangelicals as imperialistic groups that promote religious intolerance amongst the people. Many Eritrean
