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

Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the detainees.

Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

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

Around 30 people were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games 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 cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

List of Released

Those released alongside Zeragaber include prominent businessmen 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 internal security agent were released as well.

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

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

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

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, 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 without contact, according to reports.

Background on Government Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

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

This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the draft constitution and hold open elections.

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

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