Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the detainees.

Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many detainees are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior state security official in the government.

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

Profile of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

List of Released

Those released with Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor.

Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were released as well.

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.

Relatives were prohibited to see the prisoners during their detention, the relatives said.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment 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 without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been no free press since the closure of private publications 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 head of state implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

Per rights groups, 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 leader marked 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.