International

Cartoonist Biniam Solomon Freed After 15 Years in Prison

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Alan Gardner Published: March 16, 2026 1 minute 2 comments

Cartoonist Biniam Solomon was arrested in Eritrea, never tried, and held in detention for 15 years before being released recently. The reasons for his arrest and detention were never explained by the Eritrea government.

From the BBC:

Known by his pen name Cobra, Biniam gained fame for his critical and witty cartoons tackling political and social issues.

The authorities have not said why he was set free but it is the latest in a string of similar releases. Nevertheless thousands remain in prison, incommunicado and without trial, in a country long criticised for alleged human rights abuses.

For 15 years, he had no contact with family. His work appeared in Eritrean newspapers during a short four run period of media freedom between 1997 and 2001. The small country on the Horn of Africa began shuttering press organizations for “endangering national security” and began to jail journalists. The BBC article states that the UN estimates that there are 10,000 people held without a trail.