a-6780 (ACC-ERI-6780)
Der UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spricht in seinen Richtlinien zur Beurteilung internationaler Schutzbedürftigkeit von Asylsuchenden aus Eritrea vom April 2009 von weit verbreiteter und systematischer staatlicher Verfolgung nicht anerkannter religiöser Minderheiten, darunter auch die Pfingstgemeinden:
„State persecution of non-sanctioned religious minorities, including Pentecostals, Evangelicals and Jehovah’s Witness, appears widespread and systematic. Several jurisdictions have recognized that religious minorities face severe discrimination amounting to persecution and continue to be targeted by the Eritrean authorities on the ground of their religion. Although, in many cases, religious affiliation is the main factor for persecutory measures, political opinion is increasingly linked to religious affiliation. For instance, non-traditional Christian groups are, alongside Muslim extremists, perceived as threats to national security.“ (UNHCR, April 2009, S. 26)
Das US Department of State (USDOS) erwähnt in seinem Bericht zur Religionsfreiheit vom September 2008, dass die Regierung nach einem Beschluss zur Registrierung von religiösen Gruppen im Jahr 2002 alle religiösen Einrichtungen geschlossen habe, die nicht zu einer der vier großen Gruppen (orthodoxe Kirche, evangelisch-lutheranische Kirche, Islam und römisch-katholische Kirche) gehörten. Die Regierung schränke die Religionsfreiheit nicht-registrierter Gruppen ernsthaft ein und habe weiterhin Mitglieder dieser Gruppen schikaniert, festgenommen und inhaftiert:
„The Constitution, ratified by the National Assembly in 1997, provides for religious freedom; however, the Government has yet to implement the Constitution. Following a 2002 government decree that religious groups must register, the Government closed all religious facilities not belonging to the country's four principal religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church of Eritrea, Islam, and the Roman Catholic Church.
The Government severely restricts freedom of religion for groups that it has not registered and infringes upon the independence of some registered groups. During the reporting period, the Government's record on religious freedom remained poor. The Government continued to harass, arrest, and detain members of unregistered minority religious groups and sought greater control over the four approved religious groups. The Government failed to register religious groups, and it restricted religious meetings and arrested individuals during religious gatherings. There were reports of forced recantations of faith and torture of religious detainees, who were held in harsh conditions.” (USDOS, 19. September 2008)
Die BürgerInnen seien im allgemeinen tolerant gegenüber Religionsausübung, so das USDOS weiter. Eine Ausnahme würden aber die Einstellungen gegenüber Zeugen Jehovas und Pfingstgemeinden darstellen. Aktivitäten solcher Gruppen würden mitunter von Einzelnen an die Behörden gemeldet:
“Citizens generally were tolerant of one another in the practice of their religion, with the exception of societal attitudes toward Jehovah's Witnesses and Pentecostal groups. Some individuals viewed failure to perform military service as a sign of disloyalty and encouraged harassment of religious groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, whose faith precludes military service. Individuals have been known to report the activities of these religious groups to the Government.” (USDOS, 19. September 2008)
Auch in seinem Menschenrechtsbericht vom Februar 2009 erwähnt das USDOS negative Einstellungen der Gesellschaft gegenüber nicht-registrierten Religionsgemeinschaften:
“There were negative societal attitudes toward members of nonregistered religious organizations. Some citizens approved of the strict official measures levied against unsanctioned churches, especially Pentecostal groups and Jehovah's Witnesses.” (USDOS, 25. Februar 2009, Abschnitt 2.c)
Der USDOS-Bericht zur Relgionsfreiheit erwähnt 125 Mitglieder nicht-registrierter Religionsgemeinschaften, die im Berichtszeitraum von den Behörden ohne Anklage festgehalten worden seien. Laut Berichten von NGOs seien über 3.000 Christen von nicht-registrierten Gruppen in Gefängnissen, darunter auch 37 Anführer und Pastoren von Pfingstgemeinden:
“During the reporting period, there were reliable reports that authorities detained at least 125 members of unregistered religious groups without charges. Some were released after detentions of several days or less, while others spent longer periods in confinement without charge and without access to legal counsel. Government restrictions made it difficult to determine the precise number of religious prisoners at any one time, and releases sometimes went unreported; however, the number of long-term prisoners continued to grow. At the end of the reporting period, NGO reports indicated there were more than 3,225 Christians from unregistered groups detained in prison. These reports included 37 leaders and pastors of Pentecostal churches in detention, some for more than 3 years without due process.” (USDOS, 19. September 2008)
Amnesty International (AI) berichtet in seinem Jahresbericht 2009 von 2000 inhaftierten Mitgliedern nicht-registrierter Minderheitenkirchen:
„Mehr als 2000 Mitglieder von nichtregistrierten Minderheitenkirchen, darunter Pfingstkirchen und evangelikale Religionsgemeinschaften, die seit 2002 verboten waren, blieben ohne Kontakt zur Außenwelt und ohne Anklageerhebung oder Gerichtsverfahren in Haft. Viele wurden 2008 festgenommen. Auch einige Kritiker, die den erlaubten Konfessionen, wie dem Islam und der eritreisch-orthodoxen Kirche angehörten, blieben inhaftiert. Amnesty International betrachtet alle, die einzig und allein aufgrund ihrer Zugehörigkeit zu einer Religionsgemeinschaft oder Religionsausübung in Haft genommen werden, als gewaltlose politische Gefangene.“ (AI, 28. Mai 2009)
In einem Bericht von Human Rights Watch (HRW) vom April 2009 wird ebenfalls von der Unterdrückung der Pfingstgemeinden durch die Behörden gesprochen. Erwähnt werden unter anderem Einbrüche in Wohnungen und Kirchen, Inhaftierungen und Folter. Wenn man zugebe, Mitglied einer Pfingstgemeinde zu sein oder eine Bibel bei sich trage, genüge das, um im Gefängnis zu landen:
”Restrictions on religious freedom In 2002, in a widely documented crackdown, the Eritrean government banned unregistered religious activity, essentially making it illegal for anyone to practice worship of any but four recognized faiths (Catholic, Lutheran, Eritrean Orthodox, and Islam).246 The unrecognized churches were required to register with a new Department of Religious Affairs, and several reportedly attempted to do so but no registration permits have been authorized.247 Since then, Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians have continued to be the object of repression and security forces have broken into homes and churches, rounded people up, detained, and tortured them. Admitting to being a Pentecostal Christian or being caught in possession of a Bible is enough to land oneself in jail, be subjected to torture, or denied the right to travel abroad.248 In 2004, the United States designated Eritrea a country of particular concern because of its repression of freedom of religion.” (HRW, 16. April 2009, S. 59-60)
Der Bericht von HRW erwähnt auch den Augenzeugenbericht eines Mannes, der während seines Militärdienstes wegen seiner Zugehörigkeit zu einer Pfingstkirche misshandelt worden sei:
“Many of those in detention in military prisons are there for practicing their faith whilst on national service. One young Pentecostal man who was arrested while praying with 13 others in Sawa military camp in 2006 told Human Rights Watch that he was locked up along with 20 others in an underground prison measuring four square meters. He was let out twice a day to go to the toilet. He said, “The soldiers told us to quit that religion or else we would be in prison our entire life.”261 A military policeman in Sawa camp told Human Rights Watch how he was punished for his faith during his lunch-breaks and then ordered back to work. Previously during training for national service, “They punished me for being a Pentecostal Christian: they beat me, handcuffed my hands and feet together, threw water on me... they burned my Bible,” he said. “Every time they saw me reading it, they would beat me, punish me. There were so many people there, not just me, for two weeks, with a policeman guarding you, lying in the sun.” (HRW, 16. April 2009, S. 61-62)
Bitte beachten Sie auch den umfassenden Überblick zur Religionsfreiheit in Eritrea im COI Bericht des UK Home Office vom April 2009 (UK Home Office, 21. April 2009, S. 69-83), sowie die etwas ältere Position der Schweizerischen Flüchtlingshilfe (SFH) zu Asylsuchenden aus Eritrea (SFH, 28. März 2007, S. 3)
Quellen:(Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 15. Juni 2009)
