Tag: christians

Twenty years is too long: The Eritrean government must release imprisoned church leaders

Posted on by cswpress in Eritrea, Sub-Saharan Africa

Twenty years ago today the Eritrean authorities arrested Reverend Haile Naizge and Dr Kuflu Gebremeskel. Both were prominent religious leaders in the country, the former serving as the chair of the Full Gospel Church, and the latter as chair of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance and a visiting lecturer at the former University of Asmara.

They have been detained incommunicado ever since.

The arrests of Reverend Naizge and Dr Gebremeskel are not the only anniversaries Eritrea marks this month. In May 2002 the government effectively outlawed religious practices not affiliated with Sunni Islam or the Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran or Orthodox Christian denominations. Since then, all other religious groups have been required to register in order to freely practise their faith, but the process to do this is onerous, intrusive and ultimately inconclusive, as the final step consists of the president’s signature.

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Protestant, Catholic, Critic, Ally: No-one is safe in Nicaragua 

Posted on by cswpress in Latin America, Nicaragua

The government decides to whom to extend its hand and to whom to close it, the Protestant churches that today shake the hand of the dictatorship could tomorrow be strangled by the same hand.  

A Nicaraguan human rights defender 

On Tuesday 12 December 2023, Nicaraguan security forces carried out an operation that would see 11 Protestant leaders arrested and detained across the country by the end of the day. The organisation with which the leaders were affiliated, Mountain Gateway, a Protestant organisation based out of Texas, and which has operated legally in Nicaragua since 2015 under the name Puerta de la Montana, was stripped of its legal status, and its assets, including 47 vehicles and four properties, were confiscated by the government.  

One month later, the government announced that it was pursuing criminal charges against those detained as well as three United States citizens (in absentia), on accusations of money laundering and organised crime. Show trials, in which the government produced no evidence to back up the charges, were held, and in March 2024, the 11 detainees were sentenced to between 12 and 15 years in prison and fined $80 million US dollars.  

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Protestante, católico, crítico o aliado: Nadie está a salvo en Nicaragua

Posted on by cswpress in español, Latin America ES, Nicaragua ES

El gobierno decide a quién extender su mano y a quién cerrarla, las iglesias protestantes que hoy estrechan la mano de la dictadura podrían mañana ser estranguladas por la misma mano.

Un defensor de derechos humanos nicaragüense

El martes 12 de diciembre de 2023, las fuerzas de seguridad nicaragüenses llevaron a cabo una operación que, al final del día, terminaría con 11 líderes protestantes detenidos en todo el país. La organización a la que estaban afiliados los líderes, Mountain Gateway, una organización protestante con sede en Texas, y que ha operado legalmente en Nicaragua desde 2015 bajo el nombre de Puerta de la Montaña, fue despojada de su estatus legal, y sus bienes, incluidos 47 vehículos y cuatro propiedades, fueron confiscados por el gobierno.  

Un mes después, el Gobierno anunció que presentaría cargos penales contra los detenidos, así como contra tres ciudadanos estadounidenses (en ausencia), acusados de lavado de dinero y crimen organizado. Se celebraron juicios falsos, en los que el gobierno no presentó pruebas que respaldaran los cargos, y en marzo de 2024, los 11 detenidos fueron condenados a entre 12 y 15 años de prisión y multados con 80 millones de dólares estadounidenses.

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From faith to exile in Guerrero, Mexico 

Posted on by cswpress in Latin America, Mexico

Damián and his family live on the outskirts of the centre of Ayutla de los Libres1 in south-western Mexico. In May 2022, they and two other families bought the land after they were expelled from their village because they belong to a religious minority.  

On 25 March 2021, Damián, age 38 at the time, was called before the Ahucachahue community assembly in Ayutla de los Libres Municipality, located in the Costa Chica region of Guerrero. The people of Ahucachahue are Mixteco, and the majority practice Roman Catholicism. At the meeting, community leaders informed him that he had been appointed to lead the festivals in honor of San Isidro Labrador,2 their patron saint. Damián would be responsible for contracting musical groups and suppliers of alcohol and food, in addition to the administrative tasks that accompany the rituals specific to the Roman Catholic saint.  

However, Damián had converted to Protestant-Evangelical Christianity four years earlier, in 2017, as had many others. He refused the position.  

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De la fe al exilio en Guerrero, México

Posted on by cswpress in español, Latin America ES, Mexico ES

Damián y su familia viven en las afueras del centro de Ayutla de los Libres en el Sureste de México. En mayo de 2022, ellos y otras dos familias tuvieron que adquirir un terreno en esta zona después de haber sido expulsados de su comunidad por pertenecer a una minoría religiosa.

El 25 de marzo de 2021, Damián, entonces de 38 años, fue citado ante la asamblea comunitaria de Ahucachahue en el municipio de Ayutla de los Libres, ubicado en la región de la Costa Chica de Guerrero. La gente de Ahucachahue pertenece a la comunidad mixteca y la mayoría practica el catolicismo romano. En la reunión, los líderes comunitarios le informaron que había sido designado para encabezar las fiestas en honor a San Isidro Labrador, su santo patrón. Damián sería responsable de la contratación de grupos musicales y proveedores de alcohol y alimentos, además de las tareas administrativas que acompañan los rituales propios del santo católico romano.

Sin embargo, Damián se había convertido al cristianismo protestante-evangélico cuatro años antes, en 2017, como muchos otros, por lo que Rechazó el puesto.

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