Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say

Thirteen individuals held 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.

Those released were several well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated 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 initially detained, according to the source. A number have been freed over the years, but about 20 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

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 surveyor.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases of the detainees.

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

Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said.

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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

Background on Government Rule

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

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

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

Per rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.

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