Olympian and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Report

A group of thirteen people detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military prison, as stated by relatives of the detainees.

Among those freed were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, 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 Released

The individuals freed alongside 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 also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases of the detainees.

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now.

Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives reported.

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Background on Political Control

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 compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and arrest 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 head of state put into effect the proposed 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.

Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.