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

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees.

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Detention

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior 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 roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games 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 cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.

List of Freed

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, 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.

Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time.

Families were not allowed to see the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said.

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

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

Mai Serwa prison, 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, sources have indicated.

Background on Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the draft constitution and hold open elections.

According to rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Now 79 years old, the president marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.