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Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Report
Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.
Among those freed were several prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.
Details of the Detention
A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.
Profile of an Olympian
Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.
List of Released
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 state security officer were released as well.
The Eritrean government has not issued any statement regarding the releases.
A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.
Families were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives said.
Global Condemnation and Detention Environment
United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.
Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.
Context of Political Control
For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.
There has been no free press since the closure of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.
This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.
According to rights groups, 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 president marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.
Shane Waters
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