A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, as stated by relatives of the detainees.
Among those freed were several well-known individuals, such as elderly Olympian cyclist and entrepreneur Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.
They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, known for its severe environment and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons.
An unnamed source who was once detained in Mai Serwa stated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a senior internal security officer in the government.
Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, according to the source. A number have been released over the years, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.
Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The nation in the Horn of Africa, which achieved sovereignty from Ethiopia in 1993, has a strong cycling culture and its riders have steadily gained global acclaim in recent years.
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 geometrist.
Six senior police officers and an state security officer were also freed.
The Eritrean government has remained silent 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 incarceration, the family members said.
United Nations bodies and human rights groups have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of tens of 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 without contact, according to reports.
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a single-party nation with no active constitutional framework. It is among the world's most militarized countries, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.
There has been no free press since the shutdown of private publications and detention of most of their staff in 2001.
This was when the government arrested 15 politicians referred to as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they demanded that the president implement the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.
According to advocacy organizations, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, are still unconfirmed.
Now 79 years old, the president marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.
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