Olympian and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to relatives of the detainees.

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

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known 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 indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games 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 riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Freed

Those released with Zeragaber include prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.

Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were released as well.

The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases of the detainees.

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

Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives said.

Global Criticism and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

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 militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention 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 called for that the president implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Now 79 years old, the leader marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.