Originally written on 11-07-2005.

Eritrean security forces have detained 18 college students, all evangelical Christians, on Friday the 8th of July 2005.The students were from Halhale College, some 20 miles from Asmara. In what appears to be a pre-planed operation, unlike previous mass detentions, the officers approached each student as they left exam halls, following their finals.

In a separate incidence, on Wednesday July 6th, Semere Zayid, the university lecturer who was detained and released earlier this year, after a four week detention, has disappeared following a visit to report at a police station in accordance to the conditions of his release. It is now feared that Semere Zayid has now followed his colleagues to Wenjel Mirmera (crime investigation unit – also known as Karshelie) adjacent to the 2nd police station in Asmara.

In a statement Dr Berhane Asmelash, Director of Release Eritrea said of the two incidences ‘the arrests obviously alarm me both in the fact that more people are being arrested but also I am worried about the fact that young people are being targeted in quite an organised manner, and detained even when they are going about their peaceful activities’.

It is to be remembered that 80 high school students, celebrating end of term were detained over a week ago.