There's been a fresh crackdown on christians in Eritrea.

Authorities have arrested 215 believers in the last year, some of them children.

According to Release International (RI) which serves the persecuted church, 400 christians have now been arrested and jailed without the prospect of a trial in the near future or even charges.

Most of those recently arrested are at Mai Serewa prison, while others have been dispersed to jails around the country.

The charity says 110 Christians were seized between January and May.

"Most were taken from their houses – some at 3am," said RI partner Dr Berhane Asmelash, a former prisoner of faith himself.

"In the last round of arrests some children have been arrested with their parents, and in some cases the whole family is in prison.

"We are very concerned for the physical and mental wellbeing of the children, some of whom are only two years old. This is totally unacceptable, and we strongly condemn this inhuman act by the Eritrean government."

Dr Berhand is the author of Brother, I have come to arrest you which charts his experience being imprisoned for his faith in Eritrea but who now lives in the UK.

Eritrea is a highly centralised, totalitarian regime under the control of President Isaias Afwerki.

In 2002, the regime banned most Christian denominations. Christians are routinely rounded up and jailed without trial. Some have been behind bars for more than two decades.

The country, which has a population of 3.6 million is split roughly 50/50 between christians and muslims according to The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom's 2021 annual report.

Eritrea is often described as ‘the North Korea of Africa’.

According to Release International a few have been held in steel shipping containers in the heat of the desert and many have been tortured and died as a result of their mistreatment.

Some have been forced to renounce their faith to be released.

Release International supports Christians around the world who face oppression and violence because of their faith and is active in 30 countries.