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

A group of thirteen people detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military prison, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment 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 arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

Profile 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 tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

List of Released

The individuals freed with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a geometrist.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were also freed.

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

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now.

Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members said.

Global Criticism and Detention Environment

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

Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 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 single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This was when the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

Per 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 president recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.