Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, Family Members Report

A group of thirteen people held 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 a number of prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Athlete

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

Those Among the 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.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an state security officer were also freed.

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

Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time.

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the relatives reported.

Global Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including 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 expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Background on Government Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been no free press since the closure of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.

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