Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, Family Members Report

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees.

Among those freed were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per 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 Games 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 cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

Those Among the Released

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

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

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

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

Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members said.

International Criticism and Detention Environment

The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, 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 without contact, according to reports.

Background on Political Rule

For the past thirty years, 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 no free press since the closure of private publications and arrest 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 implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to 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.

Now 79 years old, the president recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an election.