Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report

A group of thirteen people detained for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees.

Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, such as elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer 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 competed in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.

List of Freed

Those released alongside Zeragaber include 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 released as well.

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

Many of them are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now.

Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported.

International Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention 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 Political Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. 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 private publications and arrest 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.

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.

Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.