Olympian and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report

Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military prison, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Athlete

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, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

Those Among the Freed

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include 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 state security officer were also freed.

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

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

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members said.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment 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, according to reports.

Context of Government Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their staff 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 put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections.

According to advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.