Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Say

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military prison, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games 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 riders have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

Those Among the Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs 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 state security officer were also freed.

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

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed at this time.

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives said.

Global Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, 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 expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.

Background on Political Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been an absence of independent media 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 referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

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