🔗 Share this article Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to family members of the prisoners. Those released were a number of prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Detention An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government. Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody. The Story of an Olympian Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade. List of Freed The individuals freed with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist. Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed. The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases. 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 not allowed to visit the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said. International Condemnation and Detention Environment The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, situated 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, sources have indicated. Context of Political Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription. There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers and detention of most of their staff in 2001. This was when the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls. According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed. Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to family members of the prisoners. Those released were a number of prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Detention An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government. Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody. The Story of an Olympian Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade. List of Freed The individuals freed with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist. Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed. The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases. 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 not allowed to visit the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said. International Condemnation and Detention Environment The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, situated 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, sources have indicated. Context of Political Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription. There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers and detention of most of their staff in 2001. This was when the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls. According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed. Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.