Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Say

Thirteen individuals detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military prison, according to relatives of the detainees.

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

They had been held 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

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. A number have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile 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 tradition of cycling and its cyclists have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.

Those Among the Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.

Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were released as well.

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

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

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives reported.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many 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 without contact, sources have indicated.

Background on Political Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of independent newspapers and detention of most of their staff in 2001.

This was when the government arrested 15 politicians referred to 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 fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.