Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Trial, Family Members Report

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

Among those freed were several prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

List of Freed

Those released with 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 released as well.

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases.

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

Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members said.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

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 detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement 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.

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