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

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

Those released were a number of prominent figures, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

A source who was previously held 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, per the source. Some have been released over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Athlete

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Freed

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

Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were also freed.

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

Many of them are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed at this time.

Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives reported.

Global Criticism and Detention Environment

The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment 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.

Background on Political Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. 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 detention of most of their staff in 2001.

This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the draft constitution and hold open elections.

According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the president recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.