Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Relatives Report

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, as stated by relatives of the detainees.

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

They had been held at Mai Serwa detention center, known for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be political prisoners.

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

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

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

The Story of an Athlete

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 cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade.

Those Among the Freed

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 geometrist.

Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent concerning the releases of the detainees.

A significant number of the former detainees are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now.

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

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, sources have indicated.

Context of Government Control

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

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

This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state put into effect the proposed constitution and hold open elections.

Per 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 recently passed 32 years in power and has yet to participate in an election.