Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After 18 Years Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report

A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, according to relatives of the detainees.

Among those freed were several well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

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

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

Profile of an Athlete

Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics 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 cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

List of Freed

Those released alongside Zeragaber include prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.

Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were released as well.

The Eritrean government has made no official comment regarding the releases of the detainees.

Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been freed at this time.

Relatives were prohibited to see the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members reported.

Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Mai Serwa prison, situated 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 Government Rule

Over the last three decades, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

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 occurred after the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the head of state implement the draft 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, are still unconfirmed.

Aged 79, the leader recently passed 32 years in office and has yet to participate in an electoral contest.