By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A popular Eritrean comical cartoonist, Biniam Solomon has been freed from prison after spending 15 years in detention without being charged before a court, BBC quoted his family and friends as saying.
Solomon, now in his early 60s, was first arrested in the capital, Asmara, in 2011 but never tried.
No information was disclosed on the reasons for his continued incarceration.
Known by his pen name Cobra, Solomon gained fame for his critical cartoons raising questions on 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.
Thousands of others however remain in prison, incommunicado and without trial, in an African country with poor record of human rights protection.
During his 15 years in detention, Solomon had no contact with his family, and received only occasional medical treatment.
According to a relative, he spent the latter part of his detention in Asmara’s “crime investigation” prison.
The facility is widely reported to hold political and conscientious objectors under harsh conditions.
Despite losing an arm in childhood, Solomon pursued a career as an artist and produced a substantial body of work.
To supplement his income, he was also employed as a physics teacher at a secondary school in Asmara.
His cartoons were published in several Eritrean newspapers in the four years from 1997. This was a brief period after independence from Ethiopia when the private media flourished before being being shut down in September 2001.
The government closed the private press on the grounds that it was “endangering national security” and a number of journalists were jailed.
Solomon also produced three books that included collections of his work – Subtle is the Ruler, Conversation with Cobra Number One and Conversation with Cobra Number Two.
Human rights groups have frequently documented widespread abuses in Eritrean prisons, including the lack of contact with the outside world, inadequate food and medicine, and severe physical and mental suffering. The authorities have rejected the accusations.
Solomon’s release comes amid recent reports of the Eritrean government freeing other long-term detainees, though critics note the process remains opaque and outside normal legal procedures.
