Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, Family Members Report
A group of thirteen people held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the prisoners.
Those released were several prominent figures, including elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.
Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.
Profile of an Athlete
Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.
The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.
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 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 concerning the releases of the detainees.
Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.
Families were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said.
Global Condemnation and Detention Environment
The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports.
Context of Government Control
For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.
There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.
This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections.
Per advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.
Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.
