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

Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military prison, as stated by 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 severe environment and where many detainees are considered detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Olympian

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

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

List of Released

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

Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were also freed.

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

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

Families were not allowed to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members reported.

International Condemnation and Detention Environment

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 detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, located 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

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

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

This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

According to advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Aged 79, the leader marked 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.