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

A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Among those freed were several prominent figures, such as 69-year-old 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.

Details of the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.

List of Freed

Those released with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were released as well.

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

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

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members said.

Global Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, located 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 without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Political Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained 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 editors and journalists in 2001.

This was when the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.