Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report
Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners.
Among those freed were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners.
Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest
A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.
Profile of an Athlete
Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics 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 cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.
List of Freed
The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.
A half-dozen high-level police officials and an state security officer were also freed.
The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases of the detainees.
Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been released at this time.
Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported.
Global Criticism and Detention Environment
The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.
Mai Serwa facility, 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 without contact, according to reports.
Context of Government Control
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.
There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.
This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections.
According to rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.
Now 79 years old, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.
