🔗 Share this article Olympian and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the detainees. Those released were several prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons. Details of the Arrest A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government. Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, 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, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Freed Those released 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 released as well. 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 now. Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the family members said. International Criticism and Prison Conditions United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, 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 include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports. Context of Political Control Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription. There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers 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 demanded that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections. 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, are still unconfirmed. Now 79 years old, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot was 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the detainees. Those released were several prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons. Details of the Arrest A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government. Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, 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, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade. List of Freed Those released 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 released as well. 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 now. Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the family members said. International Criticism and Prison Conditions United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, 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 include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports. Context of Political Control Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription. There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers 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 demanded that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections. 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, are still unconfirmed. Now 79 years old, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.