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

Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military detention facility, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Among those freed were several 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 detainees are considered detained for political reasons.

Details of the Detention

An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Games 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 steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

Those Among the 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 state security officer were released as well.

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases of the detainees.

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now.

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members said.

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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, according to reports.

Background on Government 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 militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

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 arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

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

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