Eritrea: Three More Christians Die in Military Prisons, Toll at 21

Three more Christians imprisoned for practicing their faith have died in military prison camps in western Eritrea, bringing the total number of imprisoned believers' deaths to 21, the Christian Post reports. Two Christians, ages 28 and 21, who were arrested during a 2009 prayer meeting and subjected to two years of physical torture, died as the result of starvation and untreated health problems, and a 26-year-old Christian died after being denied medical treatment for malaria because he refused to recant his faith. "Eritrea is a small country that has a bull's-eye on the backs of evangelical Christians," said Jerry Dykstra of Open Doors USA. All religious activities outside of the Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran and Islamic faiths have been outlawed since 2002; the government denies the persecution of evangelical Christians although it is well-documented.