Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Report

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

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.

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

The Story of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

Those Among the Released

Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise 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 remained silent concerning the releases of the detainees.

Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been released now.

Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members said.

Global Criticism and Detention Environment

The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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, according to reports.

Context of Government Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of independent newspapers and arrest 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 called for that the head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

According to rights groups, the fate and whereabouts 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.