Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report
Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to relatives of the detainees.
Those released were several prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, known for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be political prisoners.
Details of the Arrest
A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.
Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody.
Profile of an Olympian
Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.
List of Freed
Those released with 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 not issued any statement concerning the releases.
Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released now.
Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their detention, the relatives reported.
Global Condemnation and Detention Environment
The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.
Mai Serwa prison, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports.
Background on Political Control
For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.
There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention of most of their staff in 2001.
This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the draft constitution and hold open elections.
According to rights groups, 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 president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.
