WASHINGTON D.C. (ANS) -- Four hundred Eritrean refugees deported recently by Egypt face torture, prison and even execution on returning to Eritrea.

Eritrea is located in Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan.

The Washington, D.C.- based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC), reported the June 11 and 12 deportations in a news release. ICC also received reports of the deportation of additional Eritreans after June 12.

According to ICC’s annual Hall of Shame Report for 2008, Eritrea is one of the world’s top ten worst Christian persecutors. There are more than 2,000 Christians who are detained in Eritrean prison cells, metal shipping containers and military barracks.

ICC reported that in addition to facing deportation, many of the Eritreans in Egyptian refugee camps are routinely harassed by Egyptian authorities simply because of their Christian faith.

ICC reported that in a letter to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Elizabeth Chyrum, Director of Human Rights Concern Eritrea, wrote “These (Eritrean) men, women and children, for example in Nasr al Nuba prison, to name but one, are being beaten, tortured, and to add insult to injury, they are being verbally abused for being Christians even when they are not. There seems to be a dominant attitude among the prison guards that ‘Christians’ are less than human, and ‘do not deserve sunlight and fresh air,’ or any kind of humane treatment.”

ICC said that Eritrean Christian refugees living in Yemen also face similar discrimination for their faith.

In a letter to ICC, some of the refugees wrote, “Sadly, many of us have to lie and pretend as a Muslims (sic), and in many occasions were forced to pray the Muslim’s prayers. In most cases, unfortunately, a Christian has to lie about his/her religion to be employed and if it was discovered that they were indeed, Christians, they would be immediately fired.”

ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Darara Gubo, said in a news release, “Egypt has to honor its obligations under international law not to deport refugees to countries where they could face torture and other violations of their rights due to their religion or political opinion. The UNHCR and other concerned international organizations, as well as the rest of the international community, should take urgent action to resettle the Eritrean refugees to other countries where they can enjoy freedom of religion.”

ICC said organizational officials were unable to teach Egyptian Embassy officials in Washington D.C who could explain why the Eritreans were deported.

ICC said that Christians can help their Eritrean brothers and sisters in Egypt by praying for them, and by calling Egyptian embassies in their respective countries.

The ICC news release asked, “Please politely ask the Egyptian embassy officials to stop deporting and harassing the Eritreans.”

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "The Face of Homelessness." Additional details are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 400-7145. Note: A higher resolution JPEG picture of Jeremy Reynalds is available on request from Dan Wooding at danjuma1@aol.com.