Biniam Solomon, the Eritrean satirical cartoonist known by his pen name Cobra, has been freed from detention after spending 15 years imprisoned without any formal charges. Solomon was arrested in 2011, and during his time in custody, he faced severe restrictions including lack of communication with family and limited medical care. The authorities have not provided any explanation regarding either his release or the reasons behind his prolonged imprisonment, leaving many questions unanswered and underscoring the opaque nature of the judicial process in Eritrea.

His cartoons, which tackled pressing political and social issues, gained popularity during a brief period of media freedom in Eritrea, before the government enacted severe crackdowns on the press. In a notorious move, Eritrean authorities closed down private newspapers, claiming they posed threats to national security. This incident serves as a grim reminder of the challenges faced by free expression in Eritrea, where many journalists and writers continue to suffer under repressive measures.

Human rights organizations have long condemned the Eritrean government's practices of indefinite detention without trial, estimating that thousands remain imprisoned in similar situations to Solomon's. Despite these accusations, the Eritrean government consistently denies such claims, illustrating the deep disconnection between the regime's official narratives and the widely documented realities of human rights violations in the country.