Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say

A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees.

Those released were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.

Details of the Arrest

An unnamed 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.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

List of Released

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen 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 released as well.

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

Many of them are in poor health and this could explain why they have been released now.

Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members said.

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.

Background on Government Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. 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 closure of private publications and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state implement the draft 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 marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.