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

Thirteen individuals detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, as stated by relatives of the prisoners.

Among those freed were a number of well-known individuals, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman 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 Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

List of Released

Those released with Zeragaber include 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 state security officer were also freed.

The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases.

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 during their incarceration, the family members reported.

International Criticism and Detention Environment

The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital city, 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

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation 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 detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

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

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