Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report
Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the detainees.
Among those freed were several well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners.
Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest
A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.
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, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained international recognition in recent years.
Those Among the Released
The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs 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 also freed.
The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees.
A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now.
Relatives were prohibited to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members reported.
Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions
The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of many 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, sources have indicated.
Context of Political Rule
For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. 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 independent newspapers and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.
This occurred after the government arrested 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 hold open elections.
Per advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.
Now 79 years old, the president recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.