Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, Family Members Say

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by family members of the detainees.

Those released were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Detention

An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. A number have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Athlete

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.

Those Among the Freed

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 geometrist.

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 may be the reason why they have been freed now.

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members said.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the detention of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Rule

For the past thirty years, 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 no free press since the closure of private publications and detention of most of their staff 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 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, are still unconfirmed.

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