🔗 Share this article Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees. Those released were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest 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 initially detained, per the source. A number have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody. The Story of an Olympian Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years. Those Among the Freed The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber comprise 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. A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now. Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said. Global Criticism and Prison Conditions The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated. Background on Government Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. 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 detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001. This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls. Per rights groups, the fate and whereabouts 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 recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees. Those released were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest 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 initially detained, per the source. A number have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody. The Story of an Olympian Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years. Those Among the Freed The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber comprise 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. A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now. Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said. Global Criticism and Prison Conditions The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated. Background on Government Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. 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 detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001. This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls. Per rights groups, the fate and whereabouts 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 recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.