Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the prisoners.

Those released were several prominent figures, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Detention

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.

List of Freed

Those released 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 also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases of the detainees.

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

Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives said.

Global Criticism and Detention Environment

The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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

Context of Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the draft constitution and hold open elections.

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.

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