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

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

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners.

Details of the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody 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. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Released

Those released with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an state security officer were also freed.

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

Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been released now.

Relatives were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the relatives reported.

Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions

The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance 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 without contact, sources have indicated.

Background on Government Rule

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 indefinite military conscription.

There has been an absence of independent media 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 put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.