Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Report

A group of thirteen people held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners.

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

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

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

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Athlete

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained international recognition in recent years.

Those Among the Released

Those released with Zeragaber include prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a geometrist.

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

The Eritrean government has not issued any statement concerning the releases.

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now.

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives reported.

Global Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment 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 include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. 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 independent newspapers and arrest of most of their staff 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 draft constitution and hold open elections.

Per 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.

Now 79 years old, the president marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.