Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, Family Members Say

Thirteen individuals detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.

Among those freed were several prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

An unnamed 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.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been freed over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

Profile 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 cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

List of Freed

The individuals freed 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 made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees.

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

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

Global Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, 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 incommunicado, according to reports.

Context of Government Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state 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 private publications and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This was when the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the proposed 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.

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