Eritrea has finally released a Christian pastor who has suffered a nervous breakdown at the hands of his captors rather than renounce his faith, reports Release International.

|TOP|Pastor Oqbamichel Haimanot was previously conducting a wedding ceremony when Eritrean security forces burst in and arrested him, as well as the bride and groom and more than 60 guests.

The mass arrests took place during a wedding celebration in Eritrea's capital Asmara on 28th May 2005. During the wedding party approximately 250 attendants were arrested and held in prison for several days. During that time police contacted their families to find out who were members of state approved churches.

Afterwards they were moved to separate cells and later released. However, seventy Christians belonging to the outlawed Protestant Church remained imprisoned and according to Compass Direct, the security forces were attempting to force them to recant their faith and become members of other “legal churches”.

Even though Pastor Haimanot has finally been released after his long ordeal, Release International report that hundreds of other Christians still remain in detention after Eritrea’s worst ever crackdown against believers.

It has been revealed that the security forces were attempting to force the pastor to sign papers renouncing his faith. However, when he refused he was placed in solitary confinement and subjected to “harsh and emotional abuse” that drove him to a nervous breakdown, report Release International.

Recently the Eritrean government has appeared to have launched a major crackdown against evangelical Christians – rounding up more than 200 believers in Asmara alone. Despairingly, a number of the prisoners currently being held are single mothers who have been separated from their children.

|QUOTE|It has also been reported that the Eritrean security forces have shut down the development arm of the Eritrean Kale Hiwot (Word of Life) Church, which has forced the closure of the extensive emergency aid and feeding programme, as well as an orphanage that was preciously caring or several hundred children, primary schools and pre-school facilities.

Release International has commented that it fully condemns the persecution. A spokeman said, “President Isaias Afewerki appears to be set on systematically destroying evangelical, charismatic and Pentecostal churches. Please pray that the latest round of prisoners will be released and that the authorities will honour their international pledges to allow freedom of religion for all Eritreans.”

The situation for Christians in the African country has deteriorated dramatically over the past 3 years since 2002, before which there was relative freedom. However, in May 2002 the government announced the immediate closure of all churches other than those from selected denominations: Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran.

Over the past three years the government has commenced a huge crackdown on hundreds of evangelical Christians for practicing what they are calling “new religions”.

Just last month in October the only Anglican priest in Eritrea, Rev Nelson Fernandez of St George’s Episcopal Church in Asmara was ordered to leave the country.

Evangelical Christians have reportedly been rounded up by security forces and locked in metal containers at the hottest periods of the day without any toilet facilities, report Release International.

Even children have experienced terrible persecution. In February this year, 131 children between the ages of two and eighteen were rounded up and taken to a police station for "questioning".

However, despite the obvious open persecutions by the Eritrean government, it still remains adamant that “no groups or persons are persecuted in Eritrea for their beliefs or religion.”