Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, Relatives Say

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, according to relatives of the detainees.

Those released were a number of prominent figures, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.

Details of the Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Athlete

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of 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 international recognition in recent years.

List of 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 surveyor.

Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were also freed.

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

Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.

Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives said.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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 incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Context of Political Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the closure of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This was when the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections.

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

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