🔗 Share this article Olympian and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Report Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. A group of thirteen people detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the detainees. Those released were several prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are considered detained for political reasons. Details of the Arrest A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned. Profile of an Athlete Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. Those Among the Released 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 surveyor. Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were also freed. The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees. Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time. Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members said. International Condemnation and Prison Conditions The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances. Mai Serwa prison, 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 incommunicado, sources have indicated. Background on Government Control Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be 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 an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001. This was when the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls. Per 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 leader marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. A group of thirteen people detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the detainees. Those released were several prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are considered detained for political reasons. Details of the Arrest A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned. Profile of an Athlete Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. Those Among the Released 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 surveyor. Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were also freed. The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees. Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time. Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members said. International Condemnation and Prison Conditions The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances. Mai Serwa prison, 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 incommunicado, sources have indicated. Background on Government Control Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be 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 an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001. This was when the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls. Per 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 leader marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.