🔗 Share this article Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people held for more than 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 several prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody. Profile of an Athlete Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics 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 riders have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Freed The individuals freed with Zeragaber include prominent businessmen 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 internal security agent were also freed. The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases. Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released now. Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members said. Global Criticism and Prison Conditions The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment 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 incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated. Context of Political Control 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 indefinite military conscription. There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their staff in 2001. This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections. According to 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. Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people held for more than 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 several prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody. Profile of an Athlete Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics 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 riders have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Freed The individuals freed with Zeragaber include prominent businessmen 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 internal security agent were also freed. The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases. Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released now. Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members said. Global Criticism and Prison Conditions The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment 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 incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated. Context of Political Control 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 indefinite military conscription. There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their staff in 2001. This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections. According to 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. Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.