Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say

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

Those released were several prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.

Details of the Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Freed

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 state security officer were also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases of the detainees.

Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now.

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

Global Condemnation 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 tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, situated 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, sources have indicated.

Background on Government Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's 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 detention of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

Per 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.

Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.