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

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners.

Among those freed were several prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees 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 following an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, 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 prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an state security officer were released as well.

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

A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.

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

International Criticism and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, situated 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, according to reports.

Context of Political Rule

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 an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for 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 accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.