🔗 Share this article Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Say Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners. Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be detained for political reasons. Details of the Arrest An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned. Profile of an Olympian Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Freed The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor. Six senior police officers 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 sick and this could explain why they have been freed at this time. Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said. Global Criticism and Prison Conditions United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances. Mai Serwa prison, located 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. Context of Government Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription. There has been no free press since the closure 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 called for that the head of state implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls. Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown. Now 79 years old, the leader marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners. Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be detained for political reasons. Details of the Arrest An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned. Profile of an Olympian Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Freed The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor. Six senior police officers 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 sick and this could explain why they have been freed at this time. Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said. Global Criticism and Prison Conditions United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances. Mai Serwa prison, located 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. Context of Government Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription. There has been no free press since the closure 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 called for that the head of state implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls. Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown. Now 79 years old, the leader marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.