ASMARA, ERITREA (ANS) -- A campaign of mass arrests initiated in late November has now reached the Eritrean capital city of Asmara, occasioning the detention of over 100 men, women and children from a variety of Christian denominations.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports that according to local sources, the wave of house-to-house arrests began in Keren, Eilabered, Hagaz, Adi Tekelezan, and Deki Zeru. Further raids took place in Dekemhare, Adi Quala, Areza and Mendefera before the campaign reached Asmara on December 12.

CSW says detained Christians were reportedly transferred to a military facility, where many were severely mistreated. Local sources indicate that an unspecified number may have died after being denied medical attention subsequent to this mistreatment.

"The Eritrean government is one of the most repressive in Africa," says CSW in an e-mail report.

"Thousands of prisoners of conscience and belief are detained arbitrarily for indefinite periods of time in unsatisfactory facilities where conditions are life threatening and the use of torture is rife.

"In 2002 Eritrea's Government ordered the closure of all churches not affiliated to the Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran or Orthodox denominations, and sought to end all other religious practices except Sunni Islam. However, members of authorized religious groups also experience detention and persecution.

"Most significantly, in January 2006 the legitimate Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church (EOC) Abune Antonios was illegally removed from office, placed under house arrest and eventually replaced by a government appointee."

The recent campaign of arrests comes amidst reports from Eritrea of increasing food insecurity, growing dissent in parts of the Eritrean armed forces and rumors of the attempted assassination on December 4 of Major General Philipos Woldeyohannes; a senior commander and a close ally of President Isaias Afewerki.

Elsewhere, a visit to Europe by a delegation headed by the Orthodox Church's government-imposed administrator Yoftahe Dimetros and that includes the largely unrecognized substitute patriarch Bishop Dioscoros, is reportedly proving less successful than anticipated.

According to a press release from the religious liberty group St. Athanasius Charitable Society (SACS), while in Italy the delegation failed to gain an audience with the Catholic hierarchy, allegedly on the grounds that there had been "no prior communications with Patriarch Antonios concerning the visit."

The delegation was later denied entry into Milan's Kidist Mariam Eritrean Orthodox Church by church leaders, who stated that it did not represent the EOC.

CSW's Advocacy Director, Tina Lambert, said: "The resumption of mass arrests is deeply troubling. We are particularly concerned by reports indicating that some detainees may even have died from injures sustained during mistreatment. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who may now be grieving for friends and family members.

"We call on key members of the international community to remind the Eritrean government of its international and constitutional obligations with regard to freedom of religion and the humane treatment of prisoners, and to urge the regime to permit all detainees to have unhindered access to immediate family members, medical treatment, and legal representation."

CSW is a human rights organization which specializes in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

For further information contact Theresa Malinowska, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045, email theresamalinowska@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk