Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, 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 infamous military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees.

Those released were several well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are believed to be political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been released in the intervening period, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Athlete

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

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.

Those Among the Released

The individuals freed with Zeragaber include 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 of the detainees.

A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.

Families were prohibited to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members said.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, situated 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

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation 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 detention 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 head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

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

Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.