Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Report

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

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

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Details of the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been freed over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Released

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

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were also freed.

The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases.

Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been freed at this time.

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

International Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, 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 expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the closure of private publications 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 president implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

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