Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say

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

Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced 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 cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

List of Released

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

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

The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases.

A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this could explain why they have been released at this time.

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

International Condemnation and Detention Environment

The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital, 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 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 occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to rights groups, 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 leader recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.