On New Year's Eve, about 44 Christians were arrested at two places where they gathered for the New Year vigil. It is customary for many Christians around the world to meet for thanksgiving and prayer on New Year's Eve. This arrest is not new in Eritrea. Almost every year, a group of Christians are rounded up by the Eritrean security and sent to a detention centre.

These 44 people include 39 women and 5 men, and all of them have been sent to the notorious prison Mai Serewa, where hundreds of Christians and non-Christians are languishing in prison. In October, about 150 Christians were arrested, although some of them have been released; 98 are still in prison when this press was released.