Olympian and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report
Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.
Among those freed were several well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, known for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered detained for political reasons.
Details of the Arrest
An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.
Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.
The Story 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, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.
List of Released
Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen 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 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 now.
Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives said.
Global Condemnation and Detention Environment
The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa facility, situated 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 incommunicado, sources have indicated.
Background on Political Rule
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.
There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.
This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the draft constitution and hold open elections.
According to advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts 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.
