Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to relatives of the detainees.

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. A number have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

Profile of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced 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 cyclists have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Released

Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs 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 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 may be the reason why they have been freed now.

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members reported.

International Condemnation and Detention Environment

The UN and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.

Background on Political Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their editors and journalists 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 president implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to 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.

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