🔗 Share this article Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees. Those released were a number of prominent figures, including elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons. Details of 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 high-ranking internal security officer in the government. Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned. Profile of an Olympian Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games 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 riders have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade. List of Released Those released alongside 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 state security officer were also freed. The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees. Many of them are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now. Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members said. International Condemnation and Detention Environment United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including torture, forced disappearance and the detention 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 include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports. Background on Political Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation 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 occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections. Per 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 president marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees. Those released were a number of prominent figures, including elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons. Details of 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 high-ranking internal security officer in the government. Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned. Profile of an Olympian Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games 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 riders have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade. List of Released Those released alongside 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 state security officer were also freed. The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees. Many of them are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now. Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members said. International Condemnation and Detention Environment United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including torture, forced disappearance and the detention 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 include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports. Background on Political Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation 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 occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections. Per 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 president marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.