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

Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, according to family members of the detainees.

Those released were several prominent figures, such as 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.

Details of the Arrest

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

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

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

Those Among the Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an state security officer were released as well.

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases of the detainees.

Many of them are sick 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.

International Criticism and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports.

Context of Political Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of independent newspapers and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president implement the draft 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, are still unconfirmed.

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