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 prison, as stated by family members of the detainees.

Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Details of the Arrest

A source who was previously held 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 originally arrested, per the source. A number have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

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 cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.

List of Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber include 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 released as well.

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

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time.

Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members said.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including torture, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.

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 militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the closure of private publications 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 head of state 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, are still unconfirmed.

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