Kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini eyadlulayo, abasemagunyeni e-Eritrea baphosa abafana abathathu ngaphaya kwezitshixo zentolongo yaseSawa, ibe la matyendyana asathothoza apho nanamhl’ oku. Akho tyala abekwe lona ibe akakasiwa nkundleni ukuze azithethelele. Kutheni evalelwe ngokungekho mthethweni nje?

UPaulos Eyassu, uNegede Teklemariam noIsaac Mogos ngamaNgqina kaYehova, ibe iinkolelo zabo zenza izazela zabo zingabavumeli ukuba baye emkhosini. Ukuba babebekwe isityholo sokwala ukuya emkhosini, ngebabegwetywe ixesha eliqingqiweyo entolongweni. UPaulos oneminyaka eyi-41, uNegede noIsaac abaneminyaka eyi-38, bachithe iminyaka yobutsha babo bevalelwe bodwa entolongweni. Abakhange bavunyelwe ukuba batshate, babe nabantwana, bancede abazali babo abalupheleyo okanye baphile ubomi babo ngendlela abathanda ngayo. Kwakhona, abakhange bavunyelwe ukuba bakhonze namanye amakholwa.

Emva kokubanjwa kwawo ngoSeptemba 24, 1994, la matyendyana aphathwa kabuhlungu de angcungcuthekiswa ngabasemagunyeni kwintolongo yaseSawa. Noko ke, ngoku akasaphathwa kabuhlungu ibe ukungahexi kwawo kwiinkolelo zawo kuwenze ahlonitshwa ngamapolisa entolongo.

IEritrea lelona lizwe liwatshutshisa kakhulu amaNgqina kaYehova. Sithethanje, kukho amaNgqina ayi-73 angamabhinqa, abantwana nabantu abolupheleyo abathothoza kwesimnyama. Akho namanye amaNgqina amathathu ebekwintolongo yaseSawa iminyaka engaphezu kwelishumi, kodwa ke uPaulos, uNegede noIsaac ngawona maNgqina athothoze iminyaka emininzi e-Eritrea.

Ukutshutshisa kwe-Eritrea amaNgqina kaYehova nezinye iinkonzo ezincinci kwaziwa emhlabeni wonke.

• Nyaka ngamnye ukususela ngo-2004, iSebe Lezangaphandle eUnited States belisoloko lisithi iEritrea “lilizwe elixhalabisayo,” indlela adla ngokuchazwa ngayo “amazwe anorhulumente onyhasha amalungelo onqulo okanye ovumela ukunyhashwa kwawo.”

• ISigqeba Samalungelo Abantu SeZizwe Ezimanyeneyo sixhalabile “ngenxa yokunyhashwa kwamalungelo abantu base-Eritrea ngabasemagunyeni kwelo.” Sithi urhulumente wase-Eritrea “makahloniphe inkululeko . . . yokucinga, yesazela neyonqulo okanye yeenkolelo zabo bonke abantu.”

• Kwingxelo yayo yonyaka ka-2014 iKomishoni YaseMerika Elwela Inkululeko Yonqulo Emhlabeni Wonke ithi: “Imeko yenkululeko yonqulo imbi nakakhulu . . . kumaNgqina kaYehova.”

• Kwenye yeengxelo zayo zika-2013 iHuman Rights Watch yavuma ukuba urhulumente wase-Eritrea uyaqhubeka ebamba, avalele aze angcungcuthekise abantu beenkolo “ezingaziwayo” ibe “amaNgqina kaYehova ngawona axhatshazwayo.”

• NgoDisemba 2005 iKomishoni YaseAfrika Yamalungelo Abantu yamkela uxwebhu ekuthiwa yi-Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in Eritrea, olwalusithi iEritrea “ngamaxesha onke mayihloniphe, ilungelo lokuxoxwa kwetyala ngokusesikweni, inkululeko yokuba nembono eyahlukileyo neyokuyithetha kunye neyokuhlanganisana ngoxolo.”

UPhilip Brumley oligqwetha lamaNgqina kaYehova wayichaza kakuhle into ecingwa ngawo onke amaNgqina asemhlabeni xa wathi: “Masithembe ukuba urhulumente wase-Eritrea uza kuwakhulula onke amaNgqina asentolongweni, kuquka nala madoda mathathu aneminyaka eyi-20 esentolongweni aze ayeke nokutshutshisa abazalwana bethu.”