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

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

Among those freed were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are considered political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

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 high-ranking state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals 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 Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

List of Freed

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an state security officer were released as well.

The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases of the detainees.

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

Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives said.

Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of tens of 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 incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Context of Political Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation 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 arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known 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.

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, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the leader marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.