Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say

A group of thirteen people detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners.

Details of the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

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 tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.

List of Released

Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.

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

The Eritrean government has not issued any statement concerning the releases of the detainees.

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.

Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained 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 closure of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This was when 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 draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

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

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