Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report

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

Those released were a number of prominent figures, including elderly Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 after an assassination attempt on a high-ranking internal security officer in the government.

Around 30 people were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen stayed imprisoned.

Profile of an Athlete

Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was a region within Ethiopia.

The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong tradition of cycling and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

List of 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.

Six senior police officers and an state security officer were released as well.

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

A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this could explain why they have been freed at this time.

Relatives were not allowed to see the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives reported.

International Condemnation and Detention Environment

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

Mai Serwa prison, located 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 Political Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a one-party state with no active constitutional framework. It is one of the most militarised societies, 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 occurred after the government detained 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the president put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

According to 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 president recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.