Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Report

Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to 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, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered detained for political reasons.

Details of the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody 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. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile 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 gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

Those Among the Freed

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen 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 internal security agent were also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases.

Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been released now.

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

Global Criticism and Detention Environment

The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports.

Background on Government Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained 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 shutdown of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

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

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