Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Report
A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to relatives of the detainees.
Among those freed were several prominent figures, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered detained for political reasons.
Circumstances Surrounding the Detention
A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking state security official in the government.
Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.
The Story of an Athlete
Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.
List of Released
The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.
Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were also freed.
The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases.
Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.
Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members reported.
International Criticism and Detention Environment
The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.
Background on Government Control
For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.
There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.
This was when the government detained 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 conduct democratic polls.
According to advocacy organizations, 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 leader marked 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.