Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report
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 detainees.
Among those freed were several prominent figures, including elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known 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 indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody.
Profile of an Athlete
Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.
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 engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.
A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were released as well.
The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases.
A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been freed now.
Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said.
Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions
The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including torture, forced disappearance and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.
Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports.
Context of Political Rule
For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. 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 arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.
This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known 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, remain unknown.
Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.