HRW Report for 2017

[Omoyeme]

From Human Rights Watch for 2017: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/eritrea

 

Quote

Interference with Religious Practices

 

Paragraph 1 [...]

 

Security personnel raid private homes where adherents of unrecognized religions meet for prayers, arresting and detaining them. Those arrested are only released after repudiating their religious affiliations.

 

Jehovah’s Witnesses are especially persecuted. Three arrested 22 years ago, in 1994, for refusing military service remain imprisoned. Fifty-four (54) Witnesses, arrested in 2014 for “unlawful assembly,” admitted guilt in March 2016 and were released with a fine of 500 nakfa (US$35); a lone holdout was sentenced to six months and fined 7,000 nakfa ($470).

 

From legal developments on jw.org:

Time Line

1. March 24, 2017

   Total of 53 Witnesses imprisoned

Are we to understand that there were initially 107 Eritrean JW's imprisoned, yet 54 were released?  But 53 are currently incarcerated?  Can someone please clarify the aforementioned details? 

Edited June 15, 2017 by Omo_Yeme

[2EVES]

Maybe it's one of those days...but, I'm having trouble understanding how to view this statement.

 

"Fifty-four (54) Witnesses, arrested in 2014 for “unlawful assembly,” admitted guilt ".  

 

Guilty for what?  Just as we established that our preaching activity is a biblical command....so are our  meetings. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Doug]

18 minutes ago, EVE 2015 said:

Maybe it's one of those days...but, I'm having trouble understanding how to view this statement.

 

"Fifty-four (54) Witnesses, arrested in 2014 for “unlawful assembly,” admitted guilt ".  

 

Guilty for what?  Just as we established that our preaching activity is a biblical command....so are our  meetings. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think it means they acknowledged they were meeting together and they knew it was not allowed.  Fined and released (to continue meeting together).

The one hold-out may have a weak conscience, and feel that 'admitting' or confessing to illegal conduct would be a mistake?  Who knows.

[Marius]

Maybe it is a just wrong  interpretation of news. Everybody knows as mass media can speak as they want, as they like. I sure it doesn't mean that they was sorry about them meetings and service.