Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, according to family members of the prisoners.

Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be political prisoners.

Details of the Arrest

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

List of Freed

Those released with Zeragaber include prominent businessmen 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 state security officer were released as well.

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

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

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

International Criticism and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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

Background on Political 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 indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention 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 head of state put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.