🔗 Share this article Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to relatives of the detainees. Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be detained for political reasons. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer 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 stayed imprisoned. The Story 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 cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Freed The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include prominent businessmen 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 internal security agent were also freed. The Eritrean government has not issued any statement regarding the releases of the detainees. A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this could explain why they have been released now. Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported. International Criticism and Detention Environment United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances. Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports. Context of Government Control Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, 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 staff in 2001. This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections. According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed. Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to relatives of the detainees. Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be detained for political reasons. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer 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 stayed imprisoned. The Story 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 cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Freed The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include prominent businessmen 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 internal security agent were also freed. The Eritrean government has not issued any statement regarding the releases of the detainees. A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this could explain why they have been released now. Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported. International Criticism and Detention Environment United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances. Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports. Context of Government Control Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, 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 staff in 2001. This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections. According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed. Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.