Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, as stated by family members of the detainees.

Those released were several prominent figures, including 69-year-old 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.

Details of 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 state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its cyclists have steadily gained international recognition in recent years.

List of 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 geometrist.

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

The Eritrean government has not issued any statement concerning the releases of the detainees.

Many of them 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 throughout their incarceration, the relatives reported.

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.

Context of Political Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.

This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

According to rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Now 79 years old, the leader recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.