Olympian and Several Eritreans Released After Nearly Two Decades Without Facing Charges, Family Members Say

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

Among those freed were a number of well-known individuals, including elderly Olympic athlete and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

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

Details of the Arrest

An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.

Around 30 people were initially detained, according to the source. Some have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 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 achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its riders have increasingly earned global acclaim in recent years.

List of Freed

Those released alongside Zeragaber include notable entrepreneurs Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an technical professional, and Matthews, a surveyor.

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

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

Many of them are sick and this could explain why they have been released now.

Relatives were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said.

Global Condemnation and Prison Conditions

The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

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

Background on Political Rule

For the past thirty years, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.

There has been no free press since the closure 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 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 leader recently passed 32 years in office and has still never faced an election.