Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Report

A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners.

Those released were several well-known individuals, including 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are considered political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been freed over the years, but about 20 remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

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

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Released

Those released with Zeragaber comprise 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 released as well.

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

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

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their detention, the relatives reported.

International Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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

Context of Political Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

Per advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.