An Eritrean Christian woman has become the latest known prisoner of conscience to have died in Eritrea, it was reported on October 14.
Wehazit Berhane Debesai, who was in her 30s, died of pneumonia following a year of harsh prison conditions. She was denied access to medical treatment because she refused to renounce her Christian beliefs. Debesai had been taking part in national service when she was arrested last year for her involvement in Christian activities outside government-sanctioned church groups.
Debesai, who was engaged to be married, was then kept incommunicado in Adi Quala, near the Ethiopian border. Her death coincided with the arrest of around 70 Christians at a prayer gathering in Asmara, the capital.
