Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report
Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.
Those released were several prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.
Details of the Arrest
An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking state security official in the government.
Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.
The Story of an Athlete
Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.
The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.
Those Among the Freed
The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a geometrist.
Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed.
The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases.
A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released now.
Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives reported.
Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions
The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.
Context of Government Control
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.
There has been no free press since the shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.
This occurred after the government arrested 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 hold open elections.
According to advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.
Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.
