Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, Family Members Say

A group of thirteen people held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the prisoners.

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist 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 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 after an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

Those Among the Released

The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise 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 state security officer were also freed.

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

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been freed at this time.

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

Global Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized 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 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 incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been an absence of independent media since the shutdown of independent newspapers and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

Per rights groups, the fate and whereabouts of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the leader marked 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.