🔗 Share this article Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed 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 held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military prison, as stated by family members 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 prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been released over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned. The Story of an Athlete Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade. Those Among the Freed Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, 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 of the detainees. Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time. Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives reported. International Condemnation and Detention Environment The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown 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 continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration. There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their editors and journalists 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 president implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections. 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 president marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military prison, as stated by family members 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 prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered political prisoners. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been released over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned. The Story of an Athlete Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia. The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade. Those Among the Freed Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, 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 of the detainees. Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time. Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives reported. International Condemnation and Detention Environment The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown 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 continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration. There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their editors and journalists 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 president implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections. 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 president marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.