STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Five editors-in-chief of Sweden’s biggest newspapers initiated a joint campaign for the release of the jailed Swedish journalist, Dawit Isaak, last week. He has been imprisoned in the Northeast African country of Eritrea since 2001.
Isaak was jailed after starting a pro-democracy newspaper in the country. He has been accused by the regime of being a “traitor” and a “spy” working for Ethiopia. They have not formulated allegations against him, however, nor has he been trialed or sentenced.
“Today, as editors-in-chief of Sweden’s largest media houses, we begin a joint campaign to focus on Dawit Isaak’s case. During the campaign, the daily competition between us will be put aside. We will report on Isaak and what the Swedish Foreign Ministry is doing to free him,” the five wrote in their joint statement.
Former Foreigner Minister, Jan Eliasson, as well as two members of parliament, have secretly met the President of Eritrea to discuss Isaak’s release. Silent diplomacy has been to no avail, however, and has been widely criticised domestically. The Swedish authorities’ attitude to the case has mostly been met with silence.
“The silent diplomacy has been fruitless. The government should abandon it and change to an uncompromising lobby policy,” said MP Cecilia Wigström to Dagens Nyheter, another Swedish newspaper, on March 29.
The editors said that it was time for the Swedish government to start working actively for Isaak’s release. “Our demand is very simple: Free Dawit Isaak.”
According to Reporters Without Borders, Eritrea has the worst press freedom in the world. More than 20,000 political dissidents and religious believers have been imprisoned, they say. Even the Red Cross has been denied visits into prisons, according Daniel R Mekonnen, an expert on human rights in Eritrea.
Reporters Without Borders state that 145 journalists are jailed around the world; Dawit Isaak is the only Swede among them. Amnesty International has adopted him as a prisoner of conscience.
The latest news says that he has been hospitalized due to poor health. It had also been reported previously that he had been tortured and has been suffering bad health.
Two Swedish documentary filmmakers, Nicholas Wakeham and Robert Karlsson, managed to get into Eritrea recently with tourists visas, according to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. They sensed fear, insecurity, and near paranoia after mentioning the name Dawit Isaak..
Isaak is originally from Eritrea and came to Sweden in 1987. He has a wife and three children in Sweden.
“Obviously, many people feel deeply about Dawit Isaak and his family,” said Thomas Mattson, editor-in-chief of Expressen, one of the campaigners. Many in Sweden know about Isaak’s case through the media, he said. Public support has grown as a result.
A few years ago a website was created to raise awareness about Isaac’s case and provide news about him. One of the contributors is his brother, Esayas Isak.
More than 135,000 Swedes have already signed to support the campaign. The editors will hand over the list to the Eritrean embassy in Stockholm on May 4. They hope the regime will free Isaak, or at least give him a fair trial.
Isaak was jailed after starting a pro-democracy newspaper in the country. He has been accused by the regime of being a “traitor” and a “spy” working for Ethiopia. They have not formulated allegations against him, however, nor has he been trialed or sentenced.
“Today, as editors-in-chief of Sweden’s largest media houses, we begin a joint campaign to focus on Dawit Isaak’s case. During the campaign, the daily competition between us will be put aside. We will report on Isaak and what the Swedish Foreign Ministry is doing to free him,” the five wrote in their joint statement.
Former Foreigner Minister, Jan Eliasson, as well as two members of parliament, have secretly met the President of Eritrea to discuss Isaak’s release. Silent diplomacy has been to no avail, however, and has been widely criticised domestically. The Swedish authorities’ attitude to the case has mostly been met with silence.
“The silent diplomacy has been fruitless. The government should abandon it and change to an uncompromising lobby policy,” said MP Cecilia Wigström to Dagens Nyheter, another Swedish newspaper, on March 29.
The editors said that it was time for the Swedish government to start working actively for Isaak’s release. “Our demand is very simple: Free Dawit Isaak.”
According to Reporters Without Borders, Eritrea has the worst press freedom in the world. More than 20,000 political dissidents and religious believers have been imprisoned, they say. Even the Red Cross has been denied visits into prisons, according Daniel R Mekonnen, an expert on human rights in Eritrea.
Reporters Without Borders state that 145 journalists are jailed around the world; Dawit Isaak is the only Swede among them. Amnesty International has adopted him as a prisoner of conscience.
The latest news says that he has been hospitalized due to poor health. It had also been reported previously that he had been tortured and has been suffering bad health.
Two Swedish documentary filmmakers, Nicholas Wakeham and Robert Karlsson, managed to get into Eritrea recently with tourists visas, according to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. They sensed fear, insecurity, and near paranoia after mentioning the name Dawit Isaak..
Isaak is originally from Eritrea and came to Sweden in 1987. He has a wife and three children in Sweden.
“Obviously, many people feel deeply about Dawit Isaak and his family,” said Thomas Mattson, editor-in-chief of Expressen, one of the campaigners. Many in Sweden know about Isaak’s case through the media, he said. Public support has grown as a result.
A few years ago a website was created to raise awareness about Isaac’s case and provide news about him. One of the contributors is his brother, Esayas Isak.
More than 135,000 Swedes have already signed to support the campaign. The editors will hand over the list to the Eritrean embassy in Stockholm on May 4. They hope the regime will free Isaak, or at least give him a fair trial.
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