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

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

Those released were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been freed over the years, but about 20 remained in custody.

The Story of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.

List of Released

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.

Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed.

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

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time.

Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives reported.

Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions

The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, 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.

Context of Government Control

Over the last three decades, 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 an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.