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

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military detention facility, according to family members of the prisoners.

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

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, known for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered political prisoners.

Details of the Detention

An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Around 30 people were initially detained, per the source. Some have been freed over the years, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

The Story of an Athlete

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 cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.

Those Among the Freed

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber comprise notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a geometrist.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an state security officer were also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent 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 detention, the relatives reported.

International Condemnation and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa facility, situated 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, according to reports.

Background on Government Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been no free press since the closure of private publications and arrest of most of their editors and journalists in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

According to 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.

Now 79 years old, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has still never faced an electoral contest.