🔗 Share this article Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military prison, according to relatives of the detainees. Those released were a number of prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be 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 attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government. Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been freed over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned. Profile of an Athlete Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Released 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 geometrist. Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed. The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases. Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been released at this time. Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives said. Global Condemnation and Detention Environment The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, 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 incommunicado, according to reports. Context of Government Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration. There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications 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 implement the draft constitution and hold open elections. Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed. Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he took part in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military prison, according to relatives of the detainees. Those released were a number of prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be 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 attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government. Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been freed over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned. Profile of an Athlete Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Released 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 geometrist. Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed. The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases. Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been released at this time. Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives said. Global Condemnation and Detention Environment The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, 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 incommunicado, according to reports. Context of Government Control For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration. There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications 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 implement the draft constitution and hold open elections. Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed. Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.