Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Say

Thirteen individuals detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the prisoners.

Those released were a number of prominent figures, including elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

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

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been freed over the years, but about 20 remained in custody.

Profile of an Olympian

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim 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 made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees.

Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time.

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

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Context of Political Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state 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 closure of private publications and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president 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, are still unconfirmed.

Aged 79, the leader marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.