Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say
Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, as stated by family members of the prisoners.
Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are considered detained for political reasons.
Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest
An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. A number have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.
The Story of an Olympian
Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.
List of Released
The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a geometrist.
Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were also freed.
The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases.
Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.
Families were not allowed to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members reported.
Global Criticism and Detention Environment
The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa facility, 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.
Background on Political Control
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 an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.
This was when the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections.
According to rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.
Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.
