Hashize imyaka makumyabiri abategetsi ba Eritereya bafashe abasore batatu, babafungira mu mimerere mibi muri gereza y’ahitwa Sawa, ari na ho bafungiwe kugeza ubu. Ntibigeze bamenyeshwa ibyo baregwa cyangwa ngo bahabwe uburyo bwo kwiregura mu rukiko.

Paulos Eyassu, Negede Teklemariam na Isaac Mogos, ni Abahamya ba Yehova kandi bafunzwe bitewe n’imyizerere yabo bakomeyeho. Ubu Paulos afite imyaka 41, Negede afite imyaka 40, Isaac na we akagira 38. Bose uko ari batatu, imyaka yabo y’ubusore bayimaze muri gereza. Bambuwe uburenganzira bwabo bwo gushaka no kubyara abana, kwita ku babyeyi babo bageze mu za bukuru no kubaho nk’uko babyifuza. Nanone kandi, bimwe umudendezo wo gusengera hamwe na bagenzi babo bahuje ukwizera.

Paulos, Negede na Isaac bamaze gufatwa ku itariki ya 17 Nzeri 1994, abayobozi ba gereza ya Sawa babafashe nabi kandi babakorera ibikorwa by’iyicarubozo. Icyakora mu myaka ya vuba aha, ibyo bikorwa by’urugomo byarahagaze, kandi kuba barakomeye ku myizerere yabo, byatumye n’abacungagereza babubaha.

Abahamya ba Yehova bo muri Eritereya ni bo bahanganye n’ibitotezo bikomeye kurusha ahandi hose ku isi. Mu gihe twandikaga iyi nkuru, Abahamya 73 bari bafunzwe, harimo abagore, abana n’abageze mu za bukuru. Abenshi bagiye bafungirwa ahantu habi cyane, ntibahabwe ibyokurya n’amazi bihagije kandi bakagirirwa nabi n’abayobozi ba gereza. Hari abandi Bahamya batatu bigeze kumara imyaka isaga icumi bafungiwe muri gereza ya Sawa, ariko Paulos, Negede na Isaac ni bo bamaze muri gereza imyaka myinshi kurusha abandi Bahamya bose bo muri Eritereya.

Umuryango mpuzamahanga na wo uzi ukuntu Abahamya ba Yehova n’abayoboke bo mu yandi madini moto bafatwa nabi muri Eritereya.

• Guhera mu mwaka wa 2004, buri mwaka Minisiteri y’Ububanyi n’Amahanga ya Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika yagiye ivuga ko Eritereya ari “igihugu giteye impungenge.” Ayo magambo akunze gukoreshwa ku “gihugu icyo ari cyo cyose kibangamira mu buryo bukabije umudendezo abantu bafite mu by’idini, kandi ibyo kikabikora kibigambiriye, mu buryo budahagarara kandi bikarushaho gukaza umurego.”

• Akanama k’Umuryango w’Abibumbye Kita ku Burenganzira bw’Ikiremwamuntu kagaragaje impungenge gatewe no kuba “abategetsi ba Eritereya bakomeje kubangamira uburenganzira bw’ikiremwamuntu mu buryo bukabije, kandi ibyo bakabikorera abaturage babo.” Ako kanama kasabye guverinoma ya Eritereya “kubahiriza uburenganzira bwa buri muntu bwo . . . kuvuga icyo atekereza, kuyoborwa n’umutimanama no kujya mu idini ashaka.”

• Raporo ngarukamwaka yo mu mwaka wa 2014 y’Akanama Mpuzamahanga Gaharanira Umudendezo mu Bihereranye n’Idini ko muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika, yagize iti “umudendezo mu by’idini ntiwubahirizwa cyane cyane ku . . . Bahamya ba Yehova.”

• Raporo y’Umuryango Uharanira Uburenganzira bw’Ikiremwamuntu yo mu mwaka wa 2013, yagaragaje ko guverinoma ya Eritereya ikomeje gufata abayoboke b’amadini “adafite ubuzimagatozi,” ikabafunga, ikabakorera n’iyicarubozo kandi ko “Abahamya ba Yehova ari bo bibasiwe cyane.”

• Mu Kuboza 2005 Komisiyo Nyafurika Iharanira Uburenganzira bw’Ikiremwamuntu n’ubw’Abaturage, yasabye Eritereya “buri gihe gucira abantu imanza zitabogamye, kubaha uburenganzira bwo kuvuga icyo batekereza n’ubwo guteranira hamwe mu mahoro.”—Résolution sur la Situation des Droits de l’Homme en Erythrée.

Philip Brumley, umujyanama mu by’amategeko w’Abahamya ba Yehova, yagize icyo avuga ku Bahamya ba Yehova bo hirya no hino ku isi agira ati “twiringiye ko guverinoma ya Eritereya izafungura Abahamya bose bafunzwe, harimo na ba bagabo batatu bamaze imyaka 20 muri gereza, kandi ntikomeze gutoteza bagenzi bacu duhuje ukwizera.”