Dawit 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 charges or a trial and is considered a traitor by the Eritrean government.
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.
[7] Every week, a number of organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the National Press Club, petition the Eritrean Embassy in Stockholm to free Isaak.
[8] 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.
[20] In the Government Statement on September 10, 2024, titled "For a Richer and Safer Sweden," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson mentioned Dawit Isaak.
[21] 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.
[22] 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.
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.
