Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report

A group of thirteen people detained for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.

Among those freed were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

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

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

The Story of an Olympian

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

Those Among the Freed

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 made no official comment concerning the releases of the detainees.

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 visit the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said.

Global Criticism and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, situated 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, according to reports.

Context of Government Control

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

There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.

This was when the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

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 power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.