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

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

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

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are considered political prisoners.

Details of the Detention

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

Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been released in the intervening period, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

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 achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

List of Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber include 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 remained silent regarding the releases of the detainees.

A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported.

Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

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

Context of Government Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. 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 arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per advocacy organizations, the status and location 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 recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.