🔗 Share this article Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the detainees. Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned. The Story of an Olympian Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim 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 surveyor. 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 of the detainees. A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this could explain why they have been released at this time. Families were prohibited to see the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives reported. International Condemnation and Prison Conditions United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances. Mai Serwa prison, 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, sources have indicated. Context of Government Rule Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration. There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists 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 president put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls. Per rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown. Now 79 years old, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the detainees. Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned. The Story of an Olympian Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim 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 surveyor. 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 of the detainees. A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this could explain why they have been released at this time. Families were prohibited to see the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives reported. International Condemnation and Prison Conditions United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances. Mai Serwa prison, 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, sources have indicated. Context of Government Rule Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration. There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists 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 president put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls. Per rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown. Now 79 years old, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.