Olympic Athlete and Other Eritreans Freed After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Report

Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without being formally charged in Eritrea have been released from a notorious military detention facility, as stated by family members of the prisoners.

Those released were a number of well-known individuals, including 69-year-old Olympian cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They had been held at Mai Serwa prison, known for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are considered political prisoners.

Details of 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 internal security officer in the government.

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

Profile of an Olympian

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

The mountainous country, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.

Those Among the Freed

The individuals freed with Zeragaber include 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 internal security agent were also freed.

The Eritrean government has remained silent regarding the releases.

A significant number of the former detainees are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released at this time.

Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners during their detention, the family members reported.

Global Criticism and Prison Conditions

United Nations bodies and rights organizations have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in deplorable circumstances.

Mai Serwa facility, located about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, sources have indicated.

Context of Political Control

For the past thirty years, 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 no free press since the shutdown of independent newspapers and detention of most of their staff 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 president put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.

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 leader recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.