Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, Relatives Report

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by relatives of the detainees.

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its severe environment and where many inmates are considered detained for political reasons.

Details of the Arrest

An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

Zeragaber competed 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 tradition of cycling and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

List of Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a geometrist.

Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were also freed.

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

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 detention, the family members reported.

International Condemnation and Detention Environment

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

Mai Serwa facility, 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, sources have indicated.

Background on Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the shutdown of private publications and arrest of most of their staff in 2001.

This occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists accused of links to the G-15, remain unknown.

Now 79 years old, the president marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.