Originally written on 28-05-2005.

Release Eritrea thanks all those who participated in the peaceful demonstration objecting religious persecution in Eritrea on Wednesday 25th May 2005, Outside the Eritrean Embassy in Washington DC. The rally which was attended by Eritreans from across the US was calling for:

• The unconditional release of all Eritrean Christian prisoners of conscience, illegally detained by the Government of Eritrea.
• And the reinstatement of freedom of religious worship denied many Eritrean Christians since May 2002.

During the Rally demonstrators were able to sing and pray in the open air, in public—something that is denied to thousands of their fellow citizens in Eritrea. A number of Pastors and church leaders, lead prayers and worship under posters depicting pictures of their colleagues now in prison for their beliefs. Anne Buwalda Director of Jubilee Campaign, who co-sponsored the rally in conjunction with Christian Solidarity International and Release Eritrea said; ‘I really enjoyed getting to know a lot of the Eritrean crowd who I just started conversations with as to why they were there--almost everyone knew one or more jailed pastor. I could hardly hold back tears as some of them shared why they honor and respect their pastors and why they came from as far away as Minnesota and Atlanta to attend because of their love for their pastors’.

In an interview given to the VOA Ambassador Girma Asmerom, the Eritrean Ambassador to the US stated that, in his views the Eritreans who were there were either there to promote Ethiopian political interests or in a bid to have pictures taken inorder to bolster their asylum claim. As for international human rights organisations such as jubilee and Christan solidarity, Ambasador Girma thinks their only aim is to siphon funding from the US government.

In a statement Aklil Habtzion of release Eritrea, said ‘it is both thrilling and poignant to see compatriots from across the US gathered here to object the illegal incarcerations of our brothers and sisters and their continued persecution, I wish we were gathered here to celebrate freedom in Free Eritrea, and to think that the ambassador still thinks he and his government have no case to answer is an insult to injury.’

The rally was followed by a series of successful meetings attended by a delegation representing the partner organisations and Eritrean church leaders from across the US. The delegation met with several senators and congressmen as well as officials of the state department.