Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Report

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees.

Among those freed were several prominent figures, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

An unnamed 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 over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Athlete

Zeragaber competed 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 tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Freed

Those released alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs 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 made no official comment regarding the releases.

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

Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members said.

Global Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.

Context of Political Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.

This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded 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.

Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.