Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Report

A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to relatives of the detainees.

Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Details of the Arrest

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games 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 cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

Those Among the Freed

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

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.

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

Families were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members said.

Global Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention 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 include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Political Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been an absence of independent media 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 implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Now 79 years old, the president recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.