Gender: Male

Current Location: Mai Serwa Prison

Perpetrator: Eritrea

Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: November/12/2005

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Not Applicable

Yonatan Yonas

Extra Bio Info:

Yonatan Yonas is detained for his religious belief and activity. 

In October 2005, Eritrean authorities arrested Yonas for his conscientious objection as a Jehovah's Witness and for sharing his faith.

Publicly Available Information:

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Eritrea

Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Date of Detainment: May/4/2005

Date of Release: December/4/2020

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Not Applicable

Werede Kiros

Extra Bio Info:

Werede Kiros was detained in relation to his religious belief and activity.

On May 4, 2005, authorities detained Kiros.

On December 4, 2020, Kiros was released, following concerns about COVID-19 in prisons.

Publicly Available Information:

Gender: Male

Current Location: Mai Serwa Prison

Perpetrator: Eritrea

Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Date of Detainment: January/24/2005

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Religious Activity Religious Belief

Nature of Charges: Not Applicable

Henok Ghebru

Extra Bio Info:

Henok Ghebru is detained for his religious belief. 

In January 2005, police authorities detained Ghebru for not having a government ID after the government had stripped Jehovah's Witnesses of their citizenship and identification documents in the 1990s. When authorities pressured him to serve in the army, Ghebru conscientiously objected to serving in the military based on his religious conviction as a Jehovah's Witness. Authorities confined him in Wi'a, a prison known for extreme heat in the day and cold at night. 

During detention, prison guards beat Ghebru and interrogated him harshly. Authorities transferred him to Mai Serwa prison and subjected him to forced labor, which caused him to develop severe back pain and another medical condition. Prison authorities refused him access to medical care or assistance from family or friends for 7 years until finally permitting an alleviating surgery. Ghebru was never formally charged, and authorities denied him a trial and access to legal representation.

Ghebru's father, an elder, was imprisoned four times and sentenced to death. Most of Ghebru's other family members were also arrested during a large crackdown on Jehovah's Witnesses in 2014.

Publicly Available Information:
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