Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Say

Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the detainees.

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

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated 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 freed over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Olympian

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.

List of Released

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen 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 not issued any statement regarding the releases.

A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time.

Families were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives reported.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports.

Context of Government Control

For the past thirty years, 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 no free press 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 put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.