Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed 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, according to family members of the detainees.

Those released were several prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Detention

An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story 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 tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor.

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

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

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now.

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives reported.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, situated 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, according to reports.

Background on Political Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and arrest 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 president implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Now 79 years old, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.