Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say

Thirteen individuals 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, including 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are considered detained for political reasons.

Details of the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

The Story 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, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

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.

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

The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases.

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

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their detention, the relatives reported.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused 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 prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Political Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's 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 head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to 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.

Aged 79, the leader marked 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.