Eritrea Country Update

This report provides an overview of religious freedom conditions in Eritrea and highlights recent developments. The country update evaluates the government of Isaias Afwerki and discusses U.S.-Eritrean diplomatic relations, which generally have been poor in recent years as well the specific religious groups Afwerki has persecuted, including the Jehovah’s Witnesses and other Christian faiths. The report notes that despite targeted sanctions on Eritrean government agencies and officials by the U.S. government, the Eritrean government continues to hold prisoners based on their religious beliefs and practices under incarceration for decades.