Dawit Isaak | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 October 1964 Asmara, Eritrea Province, Ethiopian Empire |
| Occupation | Playwright, journalist and writer |
| Citizenship | Eritrean, Swedish |
| Notable works | Hope |
| Notable awards | Norwegian Freedom of Expression Prize (2009) |
| Children | Betlehem Isaak, Danait Isaak, Yorun Isaak |
Dawit Isaak (born 28 October 1964) is a Swedish-Eritrean playwright, journalist and writer who has been held in prison in Eritrea since 2001 without trial and is considered a traitor by the Eritrean government. [1] Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience and has called for his immediate and unconditional release. [2] For years, he was the only Swedish citizen held as a prisoner of conscience [1] (he is now joined by kidnapped Swedish citizen and publicist Gui Minhai). As of 2023, he is considered to be one of the world's longest continuously detained journalists. [3]
Isaak came to Sweden in August 1987, where he settled in the west coast city of Gothenburg and became a Swedish citizen on 4 November 1992. When Eritrea gained independence, Isaak returned to his native country, married and had children. He began working as a reporter for the country's first independent newspaper, Setit . Eventually, he became a part-owner of the newspaper. [1]
On 23 September 2001, Isaak was arrested in his home in Asmara. At the same time, ten other independent journalists and eleven prominent reformist politicians of the so-called G-15 were arrested, ostensibly for demanding democratic reforms in a series of letters to President Isayas Afeworki. The independent press, including the Setit newspaper, had covered the confrontation between the president and the reformers.
In April 2002, CPJ, the Committee to Protect Journalists, reported that Isaak was hospitalized due to torture. The Eritrean government denied that he has been tortured, but did not allow anyone to visit him. Isaak had not been tried before a court. Because he held dual Swedish and Eritrean citizenship, Swedish authorities began working for his release, using "silent diplomacy" according to government sources. [5]
On 19 November 2005, Isaak was released from jail, and according to official Eritrean sources, he was released only to see a doctor. After only two days of freedom, and while on his way to the hospital, Isaak was imprisoned again. He is believed to be held in Carchele prison in central Asmara. [6]
Every week, a number of organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the National Press Club, petition the Eritrean Embassy in Stockholm to free Isaak. [7]
On 27 March 2009, four of the five largest newspapers in Sweden, Aftonbladet , Expressen , Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet, featured a plea for the release of Isaak on their front pages. In addition, the five newspapers will feature joint reports on Isaak's situation, and a joint petition was handed over to the Eritrean Embassy in Stockholm on 4 May. [8] [9] By 4 May, 209,963 people had signed the petition. [10]
On 26 May 2009, during an interview with the Swedish TV4 (channel 4) the president of Eritrea dismissed the case altogether with the words "We will not have any trial and we will not free him. We know how to handle his kind." and "To me, Sweden is irrelevant. The Swedish government has nothing to do with us." [11]
The "silent diplomacy" method that the Swedish authorities have employed to work for Isaak's release has been criticized by the Swedish media, and the president of the Swedish branch of Reporters Without Borders, Jesper Bengtsson, issued a statement in April 2010, saying that "[i]t is a disgrace that Dawit remains in prison and it is remarkable that the Swedish government does not try harder to get him released." [12]
After the release of the Albanian-American pilot James Berisha, the 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Behgjet Pacolli, will start a new mission in Eritrea for the release of Isaak. [13]
On several occasions, rumors have circulated that Isaak is no longer alive, the most recent of which was on 27 October 2011, his 47th birthday, when Swedish commercial radio channel "Radio 1" claimed that Dawit Isaak could well be dead. [14] [15] In April 2012, rumours of his death once again began circulating when several Eritrean politicians stated that he had died in prison. When a government official from Eritrea was confronted about the rumours during an interview in Sweden, he avoided the question and refused to answer.[ citation needed ]
On September 23, 2024, Dawit Isaak marked 23 years in imprisonment. Several demonstrations and campaigns highlighted his situation during the autumn of 2024, including a commemoration of his 60th birthday on October 27. This event, held in Stockholm at the House of Authors, featured representatives from media, organisations such as Swedish PEN, Free Dawit, and Reporters Without Borders, as well as members of Dawit Isaak’s family. [16] [17] [18]
During the autumn of 2024, various efforts were made to bring attention back to Isaak’s case. A motion (Motion 2024/25:2181) titled "Release of Dawit Isaak and Defence of Freedom of Speech" was submitted by Helén Pettersson (S) and Fredrik Lundh Sammeli (S). [19]
In the Government Statement on September 10, 2024, titled "For a Richer and Safer Sweden," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson mentioned Dawit Isaak. [20]
On September 18, 2024, Reporters Without Borders (RSF Sweden) filed a complaint with the Swedish Prosecution Authority, accusing eight senior Eritrean officials, including President Isaias Afwerki, of crimes against humanity, torture, and enforced disappearance in the case of journalist Dawit Isaak. This marked RSF’s fourth attempt to prompt legal action in Sweden regarding Isaak, who has been imprisoned without charge in Eritrea since 2001. The complaint was supported by Swedish PEN and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. [21]
On November 19, 2024, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced it would not launch a preliminary investigation into the allegations of crimes against humanity committed by Eritrean officials in Isaak’s case. This decision coincided with Isaak being awarded the Edelstam Prize 2024 on the same day for his extraordinary courage in defending freedom of expression and human rights. [22]
Reporters Without Borders expressed deep disappointment at the decision, emphasising that Isaak, a Swedish-Eritrean journalist, has been imprisoned without trial in Eritrea since 2001. The organisation has submitted multiple complaints over the years, urging Swedish authorities to investigate the Eritrean leadership’s actions in relation to Isaak’s prolonged detention. Despite these efforts, the Prosecution Authority concluded that the lengthy duration of Isaak’s imprisonment did not provide sufficient grounds to justify opening a new investigation. [23]
In Canada, a petition regarding Dawit Isaak’s case was submitted to the Canadian Parliament: Petition to the House of Commons – 441-02901 (Foreign Affairs) by MP Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan), Alberta, Canada, on November 27, 2024. [24] [25]
In the United States, Senator Dick Durbin called for the release of political prisoners worldwide. On December 11, 2024, Durbin opened his Senate floor speech, in the US Senate, by addressing Eritrea and Dawit Isaak’s case. [26]
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exercised freely. Such freedom implies the absence of interference from an overreaching state; its preservation may be sought through a constitution or other legal protection and security. It is in opposition to paid press, where communities, police organizations, and governments are paid for their copyrights.
Reporters Without Borders is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization headquartered in Paris, which focuses on safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as founded on the belief that everyone requires access to the news and information, in line with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that recognises the right to receive and share information regardless of frontiers, along with other international rights charters. RSF has consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the International Organisation of the Francophonie.
Sihem Bensedrine is a Tunisian journalist and human rights activist. In 2005, she was honored with the Oxfam Novib/PEN Award.
Cecilia Wigström is a Swedish former politician who represented the Liberal People's Party. She was a member of the Riksdag from 2002 until 2010. She often highlighted the plight of Dawit Isaak, a journalist imprisoned by the Eritrean government without trial, after demanding democratic reforms.
Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam is a Sri Lankan journalist. He was detained by the Terrorism Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka Police on 7 March 2008. He was held without charge for almost 6 months. He was indicted on politically motivated charges under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act for intending to incite communal hatred through writing, and furthering terrorist acts through the collection of money for his publication. On 31 August 2009, he was convicted of the charges by the Colombo High Court and sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
Olof Ulric Christian Palme is a Swedish communications expert, journalist and writer. He is a son of the late historian, professor Sven Ulric Palme and brother of professor emeritus Jacob Palme. His grandfather was the historian Olof Palme (1884–1918), and his great-grandmother was Swedish-speaking Finnish women's rights activist Hanna Palme.
Fesshaye Yohannes was an Eritrean journalist who founded the weekly journal Setit and was a recipient of the Committee to Protect Journalists' 2002 International Press Freedom Award. Fesshaye was imprisoned without charges in September 2001, and died in government custody.
Dawit Kebede is an Ethiopian journalist who spent 21 months as a political prisoner after criticising his country's government in the lead up to the 2005 general election. He was released on a presidential pardon nearly two years later and sought asylum in the United States in 2011. He returned to Ethiopia in 2014. Dawit was awarded the 2010 CPJ International Press Freedom Award for his dedication to journalism.
The Edelstam Prize, named after Harald Edelstam, is awarded annually by the Harald Edelstam Foundation. The Edelstam Prize is awarded to a person who has shown outstanding contributions and courage in defense of Human Rights. The Edelstam Prize is named for the Swedish diplomat and ambassador Harald Edelstam (1913-1989). Harald Edelstam distinguished himself as diplomat by his professional competence, his bravery and his civic courage in the fight for Human Rights. He was an early proponent and symbol of what is today known as "Responsibility to Protect", and his memorable acts contributed to saving more than a thousand lives.
Eiraeiro is a secret prison in Eritrea. Most sources give the location of Eiraeiro as being situated near the village of Gahtelay, in the Northern Red Sea Region. However, in an article in the Guardian, Eiraeiro is cited as being located approximately 10 miles from the capital, Asmara.
Martin Karl Schibbye is a Swedish journalist and former editor. After an assignment in the conflict-ridden Ogaden region of Ethiopia he was sentenced to eleven years in prison for terrorist crimes on 27 December 2011, but was later pardoned and released on 10 September 2012. He was held at the notorious Kaliti Prison.
Dawit is a given name. Notable people with the name include: Dawit
David Lagercrantz is a Swedish journalist and bestselling writer known as the author of I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic and The Girl in the Spider's Web, the fourth installment in the Millennium series. He is also a columnist for Swedish Newspaper Expressen.
The Norwegian Authors Union Freedom of Expression Award (Ytringsfrihetsprisen) is an annual prize given by the Norwegian Authors Union. It is not to be confused with the Freedom of Expression Prize of the Fritt Ord organization. The prize is awarded to a writer, journalist, author or editor who has made outstanding efforts to promote freedom of expression and tolerance in the very broadest sense. The nominations are made by an International Committee and a National Board of Members.
Events from the year 2009 in Sweden
Lena Amalia Kyoung Ran Sundström is a Swedish journalist and author. She writes news chronicles and writes for Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter. She has also had her own column at Aftonbladet newspaper, Metro newspaper's Swedish editions, Mersmak and Dagens Arbete.
Although the Eritrean constitution guarantees freedom of speech and press, Eritrea has been ranked as one of the worst countries in terms of freedom of the press. As of 2004, the press in Eritrea under the government led by Isaias Afwerki remained tightly controlled.
Asmarino or Asmarino Independent Media is an Eritrean diaspora news website created in 1997.
Yirgalem Fisseha Mebrahtu is an Eritrean poet, writer and journalist. In 2009, she was arrested by the Eritrean government and imprisoned. Since 2018, she has been living in exile in Munich with the support of the PEN Center Germany.
Meron Estefanos is a Swedish-Eritrean human rights activist and journalist. She first became known in the Eritrean refugee community in 2011 for helping people who had been kidnapped and tortured by human traffickers on their way to Israel in order to extort ransom money from their relatives, exemplified in the 2013 documentary film Sound of Torture. After the migrant and trafficking routes changed to Libya, her efforts continued and uncovered criminal networks reaching into Europe. As of 2022, Estefanos deplored that no traffickers had been brought to justice, with little interest from national governments and international organisations.
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