Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say

A group of thirteen people detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military prison, as stated by family members of the prisoners.

Those released were a number of prominent figures, including elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are considered political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.

List of Freed

Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen 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 released as well.

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

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

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation 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 closure of private publications and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.

This was when the government arrested 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.

Per advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.