ASMARA, 23 December 2003 — Eritrea said yesterday the findings of a US State Department survey which criticized its record on religious freedom were scandalous and unreliable.

The annual State Department report issued last week said respect for human rights had deteriorated, and it chronicled incidents of harassment and arrest carried out against minority religious groups.

“There are four religious groups, the Orthodox, the Catholics, the Muslims and the Evangelical Church of Eritrea that have been here forever,” the head of the president’s office, Yemane Gebremeskel, said. “If there are new extremist groups, Christian or Muslim, then they have to abide by the rules.”

An Eritrean government decree in May 2002 stated all new religious groups must register with the government or cease their activities.

The US report says since that time no religious groups have had their registrations approved by the government.

“The government harassed, arrested, and detained members of non-sanctioned Protestant religious groups ... reform movements from and within the Coptic church, Jehovah’s Witnesses and adherents of the Baha’i Faith,” the report said.

“There were also numerous reports of forced recantations and physical torture,” it added.

The report cites incidents when worshipers were detained, tortured and forced to recant their religious beliefs.

“Some of the detainees had reportedly been rolled around in oil drums, abused by fellow prisoners and the women sexually abused; some of the detainees reportedly suffer from partial paralysis and other physical injuries as a result of their torture,” the report says.

Gebremeskel denied the accounts.

“This is scandalous and unreliable,” Gebremeskel said.

“What do they mean by this? How many people do they mean? If you’re talking about harassment, it’s a very inaccurate and sweeping generalization.”