Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report

Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military prison, as stated by relatives of the prisoners.

Those released were a number of prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Details of the Arrest

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior 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 about 20 stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics 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 tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a geometrist.

Six senior police officers and an state security officer were released as well.

The Eritrean government has not issued any statement regarding the releases.

Many of them are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now.

Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said.

Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This was when the government arrested 15 politicians referred to 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 advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Now 79 years old, the president marked 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.