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

A group of thirteen people held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Among those freed were several well-known individuals, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Detention

An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were arrested 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. A number have been released over the years, but about 20 remained in custody.

The Story of an Olympian

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

The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

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.

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

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases.

Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been released now.

Families were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their detention, the family members reported.

International Criticism and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Political Control

For the past thirty years, 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 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 called for that the head of state implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

Per rights groups, the status and location 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 power and has still never faced an electoral contest.