🔗 Share this article Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Thirteen individuals detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners. Those released were a number of prominent figures, including elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be 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 following an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government. Around 30 people were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody. The Story of an Olympian Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of 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 increasingly earned international recognition in recent years. List of 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 geometrist. A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were also freed. The Eritrean government has not issued any statement concerning the releases. A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time. Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members reported. Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized 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 include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports. Background on Political Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription. There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001. This was when 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. According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown. Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Thirteen individuals detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners. Those released were a number of prominent figures, including elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be 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 following an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government. Around 30 people were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody. The Story of an Olympian Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of 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 increasingly earned international recognition in recent years. List of 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 geometrist. A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were also freed. The Eritrean government has not issued any statement concerning the releases. A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time. Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members reported. Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized 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 include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports. Background on Political Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription. There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001. This was when 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. According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown. Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.