Olympian and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report

A group of thirteen people held for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.

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

The Story of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

List of Freed

Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a geometrist.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an state security officer were also freed.

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

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

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, 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 continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

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 known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.