Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say

Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military prison, according to relatives of the detainees.

Among those freed were a number of well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many inmates are considered detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but about 20 remained in custody.

Profile 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 cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

Those Among the Freed

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, 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 released now.

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Background on Government Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts 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 electoral contest.