Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say

Thirteen individuals detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military prison, according to family members of the prisoners.

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, known for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

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 senior state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been released over the years, but about 20 remained in custody.

Profile of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.

List of Freed

Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor.

Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed.

The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases.

Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now.

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

International Criticism and Detention Environment

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

Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded 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 continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been no free press 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 president put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections.

Per advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Now 79 years old, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.