Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members 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 family members of the detainees.

Among those freed were a number of well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are considered 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 following an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but about 20 remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics 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 tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Released

Those released alongside Zeragaber include prominent businessmen 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 also freed.

The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases.

Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been released at this time.

Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said.

International Criticism and Detention Environment

The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of tens of 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 incommunicado, according to reports.

Context of Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the closure of private publications and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians referred to 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 rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.

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