Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report
Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners.
Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, known for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.
Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.
Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.
Profile of an Olympian
Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.
The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.
List of Released
The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.
A half-dozen high-level police officials 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 in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed at this time.
Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives said.
International 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 detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa facility, located 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 without contact, according to reports.
Background on Government Control
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.
There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention of most of their staff in 2001.
This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.
Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.
Now 79 years old, the president marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.