🔗 Share this article Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, as stated by relatives of the detainees. Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners. 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 senior state security official in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been freed over the years, but about 20 remained in custody. Profile of an Olympian Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within 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 steadily gained global acclaim in recent years. Those Among the Freed 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 made no official comment concerning the releases. A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this could explain why they have been freed now. Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said. International Condemnation and Prison Conditions United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports. Background on Government Control Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription. There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention 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 draft constitution and hold open elections. According to rights groups, 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 marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, as stated by relatives of the detainees. Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners. 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 senior state security official in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been freed over the years, but about 20 remained in custody. Profile of an Olympian Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within 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 steadily gained global acclaim in recent years. Those Among the Freed 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 made no official comment concerning the releases. A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this could explain why they have been freed now. Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said. International Condemnation and Prison Conditions United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports. Background on Government Control Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription. There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention 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 draft constitution and hold open elections. According to rights groups, 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 marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.