Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Say

Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to relatives of the detainees.

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are considered detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

List of Released

The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.

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

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

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time.

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

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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

Background on Government Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

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

Per advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the leader marked 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.