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

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military prison, as stated by relatives of the prisoners.

Those released were several prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Detention

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

List of Freed

Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.

Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases.

A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this could explain why they have been freed now.

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said.

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

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

Mai Serwa prison, located 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, sources have indicated.

Background on Government Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been an absence of independent media since the closure 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 demanded that the head of state implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per rights groups, 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 office and has still never faced an election.