Olympian and Other Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report

A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military detention facility, according to relatives of the detainees.

Those released were a number of prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after 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 released over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Olympian

Zeragaber raced 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 cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Released

The individuals freed with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs 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 not issued any statement regarding the releases.

Many of them are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now.

Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported.

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, 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, according to reports.

Context of Political Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation 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 shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

Per advocacy organizations, the status and location 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 power and has still never faced an election.