The world cheered in February 1990 when Nelson Mandelathe unbowed champion of the antiapartheid strugglewas released after 28 years of Imprisonment. A number of other political prisoners were freed before and after Mr. Mandelas release. However. these very symbolic acts are diminished by the fact that. according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. 20.000 to 40.000 South Africans remain in exile without any clear picture of their future in South Africa. Further. there is disagreement within South Africa on the definition of political prisoner. The Johannesburgbased. independent Human Rights Commission holds that over 1.500 political prisoners are still in detention.
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Refugees