Olympian and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Report

A group of thirteen people held for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military prison, as stated by relatives of the prisoners.

Among those freed were a number of well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Arrest

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

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

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Released

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

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

The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases.

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

Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives said.

Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Background on Political Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. 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 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 demanded that the president implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.