Frank R. Wolf FoRB Victims List: Eritrea

www.uscirf.gov/victims-list

USCIRF Recommended for Country of Particular Concern

Eritrea

Updated March 2024

Jehovah’s Witnesses

The Eritrean government has arrested and imprisoned 

Jehovah’s Witnesses for their religious activities since 

October 1994 when the President revoked their citizenship 

for not participating in the 1993 national referendum. The 

state has been holding Witnesses for decades without 

charges or trial for refusing to serve in the military, which 

the government deems a criminal offense.

Tesfazion Gebremichael

religion or belief:

Jehovah’s Witness 

arrested:

July 20, 2011

health concerns: Elderly

reason for persecution:

Sharing his religious beliefs with others 

Yosief Fessehaye

religion or belief:

Jehovah’s Witness 

arrested:

October 2006

reason for persecution:

Religious belief and activity

Yonatan Yonas

religion or belief:

Jehovah’s Witness 

arrested:

November 12, 2005

reason for persecution:

Religious belief and activity

Samuel Ghirmay

religion or belief:

Jehovah’s Witness

arrested:

March 2009

reason for persecution:

Religious belief and activity

Samuol Dawit

religion or belief:

Jehovah’s Witness

arrested:

March 23, 2023

reason for persecution:

Religious belief and activity

Protestants

Protestants are one of three Christian denominations the 

Eritrean government officially recognizes. Officials, however, 

have disappeared or detained several religious leaders 

and members from unregistered Protestant denominations 

for their religious activities. The government’s arbitrary 

enforcement of laws makes any type of regular and public 

practice of faith difficult.

Haile Naizghe

religion or belief:

Protestant

arrested:

May 23, 2004

religious leader: Yes 

reason for persecution:

Religious leadership role in a network of 

banned churches

Kiflu Gebremeskel

religion or belief:

Protestant

arrested:

May 23, 2004

religious leader: Yes 

reason for persecution:

Religious leadership role in a network of 

banned churches

FoRB Victims List Stats

61 out of 2,282

Religion or Belief # of Victims

Jehovah’s Witness 53

Protestant 4

Catholic 3

Orthodox 1

Total 61

Type of Abuse # of Victims

Detained 60

House Arrest 1

Total 61

Reports of # of Victims

Torture 3

Medical Neglect 4

Total 7
Frank R. Wolf FoRB Victims List: Eritrea

www.uscirf.gov/victims-list

USCIRF Recommended for Country of Particular Concern

Eritrea

Updated March 2024

Frank R. Wolf FoRB Victims List Background

The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), as amended by the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, 

requires USCIRF to:

make publicly available, to the extent practicable...lists of persons it determines are imprisoned or detained, have 

disappeared, been placed under house arrest, been tortured, or subjected to forced renunciation of faith for their religious 

activity or religious freedom advocacy by the government of a foreign country that the Commission recommends for 

designation as a country of particular concern [CPC]...or by a nonstate actor that the Commission recommends for 

designation as an entity of particular concern [EPC]. 

USCIRF developed the Frank R. Wolf Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Victims List—an online public database—to implement this 

provision for countries USCIRF recommends for Country of Particular Concern (CPC) or Special Watch List (SWL) status. The list also 

includes such victims located in the de facto territories of nonstate actors that USCIRF recommends for Entity of Particular Concern (EPC) 

status, according to the same criteria.

Due to limited resources, USCIRF is unable to identify and document all victims that meet the statutory requirement to be included on 

the FoRB Victims List and generally relies on receiving submissions from outside individuals and organizations. As such, the information 

contained in the database does not reflect country, regional, or global trends. Furthermore, percentages highlighted in this section should 

not be used for extrapolation purposes nor interpreted as a particular group experiencing greater violations than another or a particular 

country committing violations at a greater rate than others. To support this project, USCIRF invites those with credible information on 

victims to submit information using the Victims List Intake Form at www.uscirf.gov/form/uscirf-victims-list-intake-form. 

FoRB Victims List Stats Overall

Perpetrator Victims Documented

Algeria 5 

Azerbaijan 11 

Burma 5 

China 798 

Cuba 11 

Egypt 18 

Eritrea 61

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) 2 

Houthis 3 

India 55 

Indonesia 9 

Iran 351 

Iraq 2 

Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) 1 

Kazakhstan 16 

Malaysia 4 

Nicaragua 68 

Nigeria 9 

North Korea 11 

Pakistan 87 

Russia 488 

Saudi Arabia 50 

Sri Lanka 1 

Tajikistan 16 

Turkmenistan 31 

Uzbekistan 88 

Vietnam 81 

Total 2,282 

Religion or Belief Victims Documented

Adivasi 1 

Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light 3

Baha’i 169 

Bon 1 

Buddhist – Hoa Hao 6 

Buddhist – Theravada 3 

Buddhist – Tibetan 93 

Buddhist – Unspecified/Other 32 

Christian – Catholic 79 

Christian – Church of Almighty God 240 

Christian – Jehovah’s Witness 283

Christian – Orthodox 21 

Christian – Protestant 150 

Christian – Unspecified/Other 65 

Duong Van Minh 4 

ECKist (Eckankar) 1 

Erfan-e Halgheh Practitioner 3 

Falun Gong 217

Hindu 10 

Humanist 1 

Jewish 1 

Muslim – Ahmadiyya 20

Muslim – Qur’anist 1 

Muslim – Shi’a 40 

Muslim – Sufi 64 

Muslim – Sunni 412 

Muslim – Unspecified/Other 233

Santeria 5 

Scientologist 1 

Shaman 1 

Sikh 1 

Yarsani 38 

Unknown/Unspecified 83

Total 2,282
Frank R. Wolf FoRB Victims List: Eritrea

www.uscirf.gov/victims-list

USCIRF Recommended for Country of Particular Concern

Eritrea

Updated March 2024

Not Released

Yanet Yonas 

Rimon Yonas 

Kiflay Tesfay 

Kdisti Tesfamichael 

Yoab Tekle 

Tigist Tekle 

Isak Tekle 

Yonas Tekeste 

Andemeske Jigur 

Tewoldemedhin Habtezion 

Bokurezion Dawit 

Tesfazion Gebremichael 

Ermias Asgedom 

Daniel Teka 

Yonathan Asgedom 

Samuol Dawit 

Bereket Habteyesus 

Senait Birhane 

Emnet Weldai 

Mikaal Taddesse 

Wintana Shiwaseged 

Michael Gashazghi 

Mehari Tewolde 

Mardocai Estifanos 

Thomas Tesfagabir 

Faiza Seid 

Milen Isaac 

Isaias Afeworki 

Samuel Ghirmay 

Yosief Fessehaye 

Yonatan Yonas 

Henok Ghebru 

Kiflu Gebremeskel 

Meron Gebreselasie 

Haile Naizghe 

Kidane Weldou

Released

Abraham

Mihretab Stefanos

Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim

Habtemariam Meraf Seyum

Liya Hidru

Tekle Gebrehiwet

Ghebru Berhane

Yosief Tesfamariam

Daniel Meharizghi

Tsegabirhan Berhe

Araia Ghebremariam

Hagos Woldemichael

Teklu Gebrehiwot

Yoel Tsegezab

Bereket Abraha Okba-gabr

Kibreab Fissehaye

Werede Kiros

Bemnet Fissehaye

Ambakom Tsegazeab

Mussie Fessehaye

Aron Abraha

Paulos Eyasu

Negede Teklemariam

Isaac Mogos

Died in Custody

Abune Antonios