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

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, as stated by relatives of the prisoners.

Among those freed were several prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known 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 arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics 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 cyclists have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.

List of Released

Those released with 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 made no official comment regarding the releases.

Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been freed at this time.

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

International Criticism and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, located 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 incommunicado, according to reports.

Background on Government Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

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

According to rights groups, 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 president marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.