Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say

A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military prison, as stated by family members of the detainees.

Those released were several prominent figures, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

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

Around 30 people were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been released in the intervening period, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics 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 cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition over the past decade.

Those Among the Released

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.

Six senior police officers and an state security officer were released as well.

The Eritrean government has not issued any statement regarding the releases.

Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now.

Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members said.

Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, located 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, according to reports.

Background on Government Control

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

There has been an absence of independent media 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 president put into effect 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.

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