Olympian and Several Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Say

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

Those released were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

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

Around 30 people were initially detained, according to the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Athlete

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained international recognition in recent years.

Those Among the Freed

Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise 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 of the detainees.

Many of them are in poor health and this could explain why they have been released at this time.

Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the relatives reported.

International Criticism and Detention Environment

The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, situated 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.

Background on Government Control

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

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

This was when the government detained 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

Per rights groups, 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.