Eritreans including Olympian Zeragaber Gebrehiwot freed after 18 years in prison without trial

A notorious military prison in Eritrea has released 13 people who had been held without trial for more than 18 years, relatives of detainees told the BBC.

Among those released were several high-profile figures, including 69-year-old Olympic cyclist and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot.

They are being held in Meselwa prison, which is known for poor conditions and many of the inmates are believed to be political prisoners.

An unnamed source who had been detained in Meselwa told the BBC that the prisoners were arrested in October 2007 following the assassination of Col Simon Gebredingil, a senior internal security official in President Isaias Afwerki’s government.

According to sources, around 30 people were initially detained. Over the years, some have been released, but about 20 remain in detention.

Zelagaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980, when Eritrea was still part of Ethiopia.

The mountainous country gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Has a strong cycling culture Over the past decade, its cyclists have gradually gained international recognition.

Those released Thursday along with Zeragaber include prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu, as well as the Habtemariam brothers – engineer David and geometer Matthews.

Six senior police officers and an internal security officer were also released.

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

Relatives said family members were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention.

The United Nations and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of serious human rights violations, including torture, enforced disappearances and the imprisonment of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions.

Sources told the BBC that Meselwa Prison, about 9 kilometers (six miles) northwest of the capital Asmara, has been expanded over the years to accommodate 20 metal containers, in which prisoners are held in solitary confinement.

last year, Berhane Abrehe, who served as President Isaias’s finance minister for 11 years, died in prison in 2012. He spent six years in prison – detained after publishing a book in which he described the president as a “dictator” who needed to resign.

He was never brought to court. He died in Kasheli Prison in Asmara, according to the UK-based Eritrean Human Rights Concern.

For the past three decades, Eritrea has been a one-party state without a functioning constitution. It is one of the most militarized societies in the world, with indefinite military conscription.

There has been no press freedom since 2001, when independent newspapers were closed and most of their editors and reporters arrested.

At the time, the government arrested 15 politicians, known as the G-15, and 16 journalists after they demanded that President Isaias implement a draft constitution and hold open elections.

The fate and whereabouts of 11 politicians and journalists accused of having links to the 15-nation group remain unknown, according to Amnesty International.

President Isaias, 79, who turned 32 in power earlier this year, still faces no election.