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, as stated by family members of the prisoners.
Among those freed were several prominent figures, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered detained for political reasons.
Details of the Detention
A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government.
Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.
The Story of an Athlete
Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.
Those Among the Released
The individuals freed with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.
Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were released as well.
The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases of the detainees.
A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this could explain why they have been released now.
Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members reported.
International Criticism and Detention Environment
United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports.
Background on Government Rule
For the past thirty years, 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 an absence of independent media since the shutdown of independent newspapers 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 hold open elections.
According to rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.
Now 79 years old, the leader marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.
