Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report
A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.
Among those freed were several prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners.
Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest
An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.
The Story of an Athlete
Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.
List of Freed
Those released alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor.
A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were also freed.
The Eritrean government has not issued any statement regarding the releases.
A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now.
Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members said.
Global Criticism and Prison Conditions
The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.
Background on Political Control
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.
There has been an absence of independent media since the closure 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 demanded that the president implement the proposed 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, are still unconfirmed.
Now 79 years old, the president marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.
