Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Report
Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.
Those released were a number of prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be political prisoners.
Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest
A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been freed over the years, but about 20 remained in custody.
The Story of an Olympian
Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.
Those Among the Released
Those released alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.
A half-dozen high-level police officials and an state security officer were released as well.
The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees.
A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.
Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said.
Global Criticism and Detention Environment
United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.
Background on Government Rule
For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.
There has been no free press since the shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.
This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.
Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.
Now 79 years old, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.
