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

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, according to relatives of the detainees.

Those released were a number of prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been freed over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

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, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

Those Among the Released

Those released with Zeragaber comprise 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 made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees.

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

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said.

International Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their staff 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 head of state implement the draft constitution and hold open elections.

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

Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.