Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report

A group of thirteen people held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the prisoners.

Among those freed were a number of well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are considered detained for political reasons.

Details of the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested 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. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Olympian

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.

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

List of Released

Those released alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.

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

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

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

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

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, situated 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, according to reports.

Background on Government Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This was when the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to 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 electoral contest.