Olympian and Other Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report

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

Among those freed were a number of well-known individuals, including 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are considered detained for political reasons.

Details of the Arrest

An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody.

The Story of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained international recognition in recent years.

List of Freed

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

Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were also freed.

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

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

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

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports.

Background on Political Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarised societies, 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 detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

Per advocacy organizations, the fate and whereabouts 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 marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.