Olympian and Several Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report

Thirteen individuals detained for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, according to relatives of the prisoners.

Among those freed were a number of prominent figures, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Circumstances Surrounding the Detention

A source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.

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

Profile of an Olympian

Zeragaber raced 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, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim over the past decade.

Those Among the Released

The individuals freed alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor.

A half-dozen high-level police officials and an internal security agent were released as well.

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

Many of them are in poor health and this may be the reason why they have been released now.

Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the relatives reported.

Global Condemnation and Detention Environment

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa prison, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to include 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.

Context of Political 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 militarised societies, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no free press since the closure of private publications and detention of most of their staff 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 put into effect 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, remain unknown.

Aged 79, the president marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.