A group of thirteen people detained for more than 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been released from a infamous military prison, according to relatives of the detainees.
Among those freed 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 detainees are considered political prisoners.
Details of the Detention
An unnamed source who was previously held in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 after an attempted assassination on a senior state security official in the government.
Around 30 people were originally arrested, per the source. A number have been freed in the intervening period, but about 20 stayed imprisoned.
Profile of an Olympian
Zeragaber raced in the Moscow Games in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia.
The nation in the Horn of Africa, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted cycling culture and its cyclists have steadily gained international recognition over the past decade.
List of Released
Those released 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 state security officer were also freed.
The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases.
Many of them are in poor health and this could explain why they have been freed now.
Relatives were prohibited to visit the prisoners throughout their incarceration, the family members said.
Global Condemnation and Detention Environment
The UN and rights organizations have consistently criticized the Eritrean government of serious abuses, encompassing torture, forced disappearance and the imprisonment of many thousands of people in inhumane conditions.
Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital city, Asmara, has expanded over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held without contact, according to reports.
Context of Government Rule
Over the last three decades, Eritrea has remained a one-party state with no functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration.
There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and detention of most of their editors and journalists 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 president put into effect the proposed constitution and conduct democratic polls.
Per rights groups, 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 president recently passed 32 years in power and has still never faced an election.