22 AUGUST 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. | Six years ago, the United Nations General Assembly inaugurated the annual International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, citing concerns about “continuing acts of intolerance” and “the increasing number and intensity of such incidents” which disproportionately target faith minority communities across the world. Each year on August 22, human rights and religious freedom organizations across the world observe the International Day in various ways. In 2023, Pakistani activists condemned the mob violence and vandalism inflicted upon the Christian community of Jaranwala, Faisalabad, just days prior (August 16) in response to false blasphemy allegations. Our partners at Boat People SOS reported on the predominantly Protestant Christian Montagnards across the Central Highlands of Vietnam and displaced refugee communities in Thailand, who on August 22 organized services praying for the release of prisoners of conscience and the safety of their co-religionists who operate house churches despite government repression.
For this year’s International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, Jubilee Campaign joined a group of Religious Liberty Partnership member organizations in our first ever ‘Voices for Justice’ initiative, #ReleaseThe7. Representatives from Christian Freedom International, Katartismos Global, 21Wilberforce, and the Africa Working Group of the IRF Roundtable gathered just outside of the Eritrean Embassy in Washington D.C. to confront authorities about their country’s reprehensible two-decade detention of seven church leaders. Dr. Kuflu Gebremeskel, Dr. Futsum Gebrenegus, Rev. Gebremedhin Gebregiorgis, Rev. Pastor Kidane Weldou, Rev. Dr. Tekleab Menghisteab, Rev. Million Gebreselassie, and Rev. Haile Naizge have each spent an unconscionable 20 years in detention without formal charges, during which they are denied legal counsel and family visits. One might presume that such protracted prison terms would be reserved for the most abhorrent criminals, but these seven men – each of whom contributed tremendous value to Eritrean society – roused the fury of the government solely for their devout leadership of religious communities.
Husband and father of four, Dr. Kiflu Gebremeskel, was chair of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance and leader of the Southwest Full Gospel Church at the time of his arrest in Asmara in 2004. He is believed to have developed stress-related hypertension in prison and reportedly frequented the hospital in 2021.
Renowned senior psychiatrist Dr. Futsum Gebrenegus had served as a deacon in the Eritrean Orthodox Church and during his time as an ordained priest organized the Medhane Alem (Savior of the World) Church movement. Dr. Gebrenegus’ wife died of cancer in 2022, and he was prohibited from attending her funeral.
Medhane Alem movement co-organizer, Rev. Gebremedhin Gebregiorgis, was arrested alongside Dr. Gebrenegus in November 2004. Rev. Gebremedhin had also been an acclaimed HIV/AIDS awareness activist and a Sunday school leader for the Eritrean Orthodox Patriarchate. In June 2022, his wife Tsgeweyni passed away from cancer.
Physician and Medhane Alem movement co-organizer, Rev. Dr. Tekleab Menghisteab, was arrested alongside Dr. Gebrenegus and Rev. Dr. Gebregiorgis in November 2004. Four years before his imprisonment, Rev. Dr. Menghisteab had established the Bread of Life Magazine which offered words of encouragement to his persecuted Eritrean Christian peers.
Full Gospel Church senior pastor and father of four, Kidane Weldou, was forcibly disappeared by Eritrean authorities who left his car abandoned on the streets of Asmara in early 2005. Pastor Weldou had a remarkable career of working with the youth, having been a secondary school biology teacher and youth ministry leader prior to his abduction.
Rev. Meron ‘Million’ Gebreselassie served at Massawa Rhema Evangelical Church and was employed as an anesthetist at a coastal hospital when he was arrested in June 2004 following a meeting with another pastor, Tesfatsion Hagos. The most recent updates on Rev. Gebreselassie reported his stable mental and physical health in 2020.
Chair of the Full Gospel Church and former senior accountant, Rev. Haile Naizge, though reportedly in decent health as of early 2025, has not heard from or spoken to his wife and three children who have been able to resettle elsewhere in Africa and subsequently in North America.
The Voices for Justice initiative members made impassioned remarks in front of the Eritrean Embassy. Faith McDonnell, Advocacy Director of Katartismos Global, lamented that “This is déjà vu all over again for me. I stood in front of this embassy in 2005 to protest the imprisonment of the same men and many, many, many more…. After that protest in 2005, more people were arrested. The Eritreans who were with us [at the protest] had family members who received repercussions.” We were also joined by Eritrea-born Delaware resident and Coptic Christian, Araya Debessay, a vocal critic of Eritrea’s “authoritarian leadership”, who told The Christian Post that “there are so many who are being persecuted because of their religious beliefs. This is unconstitutional, this is wrong, and this should not happen”.
Ella Elwin, Cultural Specialist and Executive Assistant at Christian Freedom International, attempted to deliver a letter to Eritrean embassy officials but was turned away; we have received similar responses by government representatives in previous years. Our letter, endorsed by 13 organizations and more than 70 individuals, appealed to the humanity of any official who would listen, stating plainly that “these are sons, husbands, fathers and men of good character. Unfortunately, they are representative of many more men, women and even children held in violation of both their constitutional and internationally recognized rights. We therefore call on your government to release these men and every prisoner of conscience unconditionally, beginning with those detained for excessive periods without charge, trial, or access to their families or legal representatives”.
Our #ReleaseThe7 initiative was supported by former congressman and author of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, Representative Frank Wolf. “The situation for religious freedom in Eritrea remains dire, with many Christians imprisoned for their faith”, he explained. “I have long been deeply concerned about the suffering endured by Eritrean Christians, and I fully support the Voices for Justice campaign to raise awareness and advocate for international action on behalf of the seven church leaders at the heart of this initiative”.
We were also inspirited by a call we received from a family member of one of the #ReleaseThe7 church leaders, who thanked us for speaking up on behalf of the persecuted church in Eritrea and calling for the release of beleaguered prisoners of conscience.
The UN General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/73/296 establishing the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, asserted that “States have the primary responsibility to promote and protect human rights, including the human rights of persons belonging to religious minorities, including their right to exercise their religion or belief freely”. The state of Eritrea is failing its citizens in this respect, targeting members of both legally unrecognized religious groups and government-approved faith communities. These seven church leaders – along with their images, names, and life stories – are representative of the countless more who are persecuted, imprisoned, and tortured for exercising their freedom of conscience in Eritrea.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING
Christian Freedom International, “Eritrea Refuses Letter Calling For Release of 7 Church Leaders”, 21 August 2025.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide, “Eritrea: global campaign calls for the release of seven church leaders”, 22 August 2025.
Christian Today, “Call to release Eritrean pastors held without charge for 21 years”, 22 August 2025.
Church in Chains, Eritrea: “Release the Seven”, 19 August 2025.
Edward Ross, “Worldwide campaign set for seven imprisoned Eritrean church leaders”, Christian Daily, 19 August 2025.
Open Doors, “Open Doors calls for the release of seven pastors imprisoned in Eritrea for 21 years”, 20 August 2025.
Ryan Foley, “Eritrean Embassy rejects petition calling for release of imprisoned Christian leaders”, The Christian Post, 22 August 2025.
Shalom World News, “Eritrean Embassy Turns Down Plea to Free Jailed Christian Leaders”, 22 August 2025.
Tola Mbakwe, “Protests held in London demanding release of Eritrean pastors imprisoned for 21 years”, Premier Christian Years, 21 August 2025.
21Wilberforce, “Join the #Voices4Justice Campaign to Stand with Imprisoned Eritrean Church Leaders”.