Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report
A group of thirteen people held for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees.
Those released were several prominent figures, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered detained for political reasons.
Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.
Profile of an Athlete
Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games 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 cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.
Those Among the Freed
Those released with Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs 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 also freed.
The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases.
A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.
Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members said.
Global Condemnation and Detention Environment
The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.
Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports.
Context of Political Control
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.
There has been no free press since the closure of private publications and detention 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 proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.
Per 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 recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.
