Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report
Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the detainees.
Among those freed were several well-known individuals, including 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 inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.
Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody 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. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.
Profile of an Olympian
Zeragaber raced 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 cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained international recognition in recent years.
List of Freed
Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise 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 state security officer were also freed.
The Eritrean government has remained silent 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 visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported.
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 tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.
Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.
Context of Government Rule
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.
There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.
This was when the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections.
Per 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.
Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.
