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For over two decades, Dawit Isaak, an Eritrean-Swedish journalist and activist, has languished in an Eritrean prison without trial, his commitment to democratic freedoms suppressed but not forgotten. This month, Dawit’s courage and dedication to free speech earned him the prestigious Edelstam Prize, a Swedish award that celebrates exceptional bravery in defending human rights. His daughter, Betlehem Isaak, will accept the prize on his behalf at a ceremony in Stockholm on November 19, as Dawit remains detained in an undisclosed location.
Dawit’s journey began in 1987, when he first sought refuge in Sweden during Eritrea’s bitter war for independence from Ethiopia. A few years later, Eritrea became an independent nation, and Isaak, by then a Swedish citizen, returned home, driven by a vision of a democratic Eritrea. In 1997, he co-founded Setit, Eritrea’s first independent newspaper, where he and other journalists voiced bold calls for political reform and freedom of expression. But in 2001, as Setit published a series of open letters demanding democratic reforms, Dawit and around two dozen others, including government ministers and parliamentarians, were arrested in a sweeping crackdown on dissent.
Since that fateful arrest, Dawit’s exact location and health status have been shrouded in mystery, as Eritrean authorities have refused to disclose any details or allow him contact with his family, legal counsel, or consular support. Many fellow detainees from the 2001 crackdown are presumed dead. Caroline Edelstam, chair of the Edelstam Prize jury, called Dawit’s prolonged detention “an enforced disappearance”.
“Dawit Isaak is the longest-detained journalist in the world,” Edelstam said. “His indefatigable courage stands as a testament to the principle of freedom of expression.”
Dawit’s imprisonment highlights Eritrea’s authoritarian landscape, where President Isaias Afwerki has ruled without elections since the country’s independence in 1993. In a move justified under “national security,” Eritrea shut down its private press in 2001, making it the only African country without privately owned media to this day. Journalists, writers, and activists live under constant surveillance, and any attempt to challenge the government is swiftly crushed.
The Edelstam Foundation has called on Eritrea to disclose Dawit’s location and grant him legal representation, urging the international community to pressure the Eritrean government for his release. The Edelstam Prize, named in honor of Swedish diplomat Harald Edelstam, is awarded to individuals who exhibit extraordinary courage in defending human rights, often at great personal risk.
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