E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.1 Page 32 123. The Special Rapporteurs had also received information concerning 16 members of the Kale Hiwot (“Word of Life”) Evangelical Church in a small town near Asmara. According to the allegations, they were arrested on the same day for watching a Christian video in a church member’s home. Although they were neither charged nor brought to court, two elderly women among them were freed after admitting to some offence and paying a fine equivalent to US$12. None of the detainees have been brought before a court within 48 hours, as required by law, nor charged with any offence. Several senior members of the same church had reportedly been detained without charge or trial since April 2004. 124. Previous communications on similar cases had been sent to the Government (e.g. E/CN.4/2005/62/Add.1, paras. 661, 662, 663 and 664 and E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1, paras 94 and 96). Urgent appeal sent on 3 June 2005 with the Working Group on Arbitrary detention and the Special Rapporteur on Torture 125. The Special Rapporteurs and the Working Group brought to the attention of the Government the situation of Mr. Demoze Afewerki, aged 67, head of the inspection department of the Housing and Commerce Bank of Eritrea and chair of the Gideons (Bible) International branch in Eritrea who was believed to have been arrested at the same time as Pastor Kidane Weldu, on behalf of which a communication was sent on 13 April 2005, by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture. According to the allegations received, Mr. Afewerki was also being held in incommunicado detention and without charge in the special security section (Wenjel Mirmera) of the 2nd police station in Asmara. 126. Pastor Kidane Weldu was one of the 16 full-time pastors of various evangelical churches detained without charge in military, security and police prisons in Eritrea on account of their religious beliefs. Concern was expressed that they were prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of religion. 127. It was further alleged that up to 900 members of these banned churches, worshipping clandestinely, were also held in detention. Amongst this group, it was believed that there were approximately 150 women, including well-known evangelical singer Helen Berhane. 128. Concern was heightened by reports that those detained were being held in harsh conditions, in shipping containers, secret cells or underground prisons, and that some might be subjected to torture in order to extract signed renunciations of their faith. They were reportedly detained in a number of military prisons (with over 230 in Sawa military conscription and training centres, near the Sudanese border), Mai Serwa army camp near Asmara, and police and security prisons in Asmara, Keren town in the north and the Red Sea port of Assab. Urgent appeal sent on 3 June 2005 with the Working Group on Arbitrary detention and the Special Rapporteur on Torture