Well-known Eritrean cartoonist Biniam Solomon has been released after spending 15 years in prison without charge, according to his family and friends.
Solomon, who is now in his early 60s, was arrested in 2011 in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. He was never formally charged or brought to trial, and authorities did not explain the reasons for his detention or his recent release.
Known by the pen name Cobra, Solomon became popular for his sharp and often humorous political cartoons that commented on social and political life in Eritrea. His work appeared in several local newspapers in the late 1990s and early 2000s, during a brief period when private media outlets were allowed to operate in the country.
During his years in detention, Solomon had no contact with his family and reportedly received only occasional medical care. According to relatives, he spent the later part of his imprisonment in the “crime investigation” prison in Asmara, a facility believed to hold political prisoners and conscientious objectors.
Despite losing an arm as a child, Solomon built a career as an artist and also worked as a physics teacher at a secondary school in Asmara. He published several books featuring his cartoons, including Subtle is the Ruler, Conversation with Cobra Number One, and Conversation with Cobra Number Two.
His arrest came years after the Eritrean government shut down the country’s private media in 2001, arguing that it threatened national security. Several journalists and critics were detained during that period.
Human rights organisations have long accused Eritrea of holding thousands of people without trial and incommunicado. The government has repeatedly rejected allegations of abuses in its prison system.
Solomon’s release follows reports that other long-term detainees have also been freed in recent months, although critics say the process remains unclear and outside formal legal procedures. The United Nations has previously called for the release of thousands of prisoners it says are being held without trial in the country.
