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

Thirteen individuals detained for more than 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 elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

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.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

List of Freed

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor.

Six senior police officers and an state security officer were released as well.

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

Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been freed now.

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

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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

Context of Government Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers and detention of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Now 79 years old, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.