ISIS Abducts Dozens of Eritrean Christians in Libya

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Jun 08, 2015

ISIS Abducts Dozens of Eritrean Christians in Libya

ISIS militants have reportedly kidnapped 86 Eritrean Christians from Libya. Christian Today reports the men, women and children were mostly taken from the city of Adi Keih while they attempted to flee to Europe. 

Witnesses of the kidnapping said that abductees were divided by their religion and six Muslims were released. 

Human rights activist Meron Estefanos said, "IS militants asked everyone who is Muslim or not and everybody started saying they are Muslims. But you have to know the Koran, and they didn't."

According to Estefanos, three Christians were able to escape the militants. The International Commission on Eritrean Refugees, which Estefanos co-founded, is now trying to find a safe place for the escaped abductees to reside. 

"We are trying to get them to a safe place, but there is no safe place in Libya,” Estefanos said. 

Eritrean Catholic Priest Father Mussie Zerai said that ISIS is targeting Eritreans and Ethiopians because most of them are Christians. 

“Christian people, especially from Eritrea and Ethiopia, are discriminated against in Libya because of the religion issue. It's not the first time, it's not new — discrimination or bad treatment, all these things. But it's the first time they are targeted in this way. They are killed by ISIS because they are Christian. This is the first time,” he told Radio France Internationale

Publication date: June 8, 2015



ISIS Abducts Dozens of Eritrean Christians in Libya