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

A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.

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

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be 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 attempted assassination on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been released over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

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, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.

Those Among the Freed

Those released with Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.

A half-dozen high-level police officials 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 in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been freed now.

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the family members reported.

Global Criticism 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 detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, 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 incommunicado, according to reports.

Background on Political Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This was when the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president implement the draft 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.

Now 79 years old, the leader marked 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.