Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say

Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners.

Those released were several well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Athlete

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

List of Freed

Those released with Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases.

A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this could explain why they have been released now.

Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Rule

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 closure of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

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 leader marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.