Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Say
A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.
Those released were several prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees 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 taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.
The Story of an Athlete
Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.
The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.
Those Among the Released
Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.
Six senior police officers and an state security officer were released as well.
The Eritrean government has not issued any statement 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 prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members said.
Global Condemnation and Detention Environment
United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.
Mai Serwa prison, 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.
Context of Government Control
For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.
There has been no free press since the shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.
This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.
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 still never faced an election.
