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

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military prison, according to relatives of the detainees.

Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

The Story 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 achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

Those Among the Freed

Those released with Zeragaber include 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 released as well.

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 released at this time.

Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives said.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment 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, according to reports.

Background on Government Control

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

There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers 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.

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

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