Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say

Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Among those freed were several well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are considered detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

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 senior internal security officer in the government.

Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. Some have been released over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.

Those Among the Released

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber comprise 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 also freed.

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 released at this time.

Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members said.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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, sources have indicated.

Context of Political Control

For the past thirty years, 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 an absence of independent media since the closure of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state put into effect the draft constitution and hold open elections.

Per advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.

Now 79 years old, the president marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.