Helen Berhane was imprisoned for almost three years in the shipping container prisons in Eritrea. She shares how a Muslim man with epilepsy was also imprisoned. She says in her testimonial book titled Song of the Nightingale:
“I saw a witch doctor, before I was arrested, about my fits. He said that they would make me better, but I should never take them off.”
“Jemal,” I said, ‘those charms cannot heal you. Only prayer to God can do that.”
As I spoke he began to have a fit, and so I prayed for him. I did this often until, miraculously, he agreed to take the charms off. I took them away and burnt them, but whatever was in them smelled awful, and the guards demanded to know what I had been doing, which gave me the opportunity to explain to them that only prayer can heal a person, not charms from a witch doctor.
Jemal’s health improved and his fits became less frequent. I was delighted but he was worried.
“Helen, if they know that I am feeling better they will keep me here, and I want to be released.”
“If you continue to trust in God, no one can keep you from going home, not if God wills that you should be released.”
I was very pleased when he was released shortly afterwards.
