Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say

Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Details of the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking 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 roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a geometrist.

Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases.

Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time.

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the family members reported.

International Condemnation and Detention Environment

The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, situated 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, according to reports.

Background on Government Control

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

There has been no free press since the shutdown of private publications and detention of most of their editors and journalists 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 hold open elections.

Per advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.