Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Trial, Relatives Report

Thirteen individuals held for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a notorious military detention facility, according to relatives of the prisoners.

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

They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many detainees are considered detained for political reasons.

Details of the Detention

A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an assassination attempt on a senior internal security officer in the government.

Around 30 people were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been freed over the years, but about 20 remained in custody.

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 cycling culture and its cyclists have increasingly earned international recognition in recent years.

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 internal security agent were released as well.

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

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

Families were prohibited to visit the prisoners during their incarceration, the family members said.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, including ill-treatment, forced disappearance and the imprisonment 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 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 remained 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 an absence of independent media since the shutdown of private publications and arrest 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 demanded that the president implement the draft constitution and conduct democratic polls.

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 president marked 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.