Olympian and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say
Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by family members of the detainees.
Those released were a number of well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment 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 indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.
Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody.
The Story of an Olympian
Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.
The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.
List of Freed
Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.
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.
A significant number of the former detainees are sick 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 family members reported.
Global Criticism and Prison Conditions
United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa prison, situated 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.
Context of Government Rule
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.
There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.
This was when the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.
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, remain unknown.
Now 79 years old, the leader marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.