Dawit Isaak – The world’s longest imprisoned journalist

In 1993, Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia. After that, many of its refugees and migrants returned back to Eritrea, hoping for a better country. Dawit Isaak, a journalist and a writer, who sought refuge and granted citizenship in Sweden was one of them. After his return, he co-founded Eritrea’s first independent newspaper, Setit. The newspaper soon became very popular in Eritrea, influencing free critical thinking an improving the lives of Eritreans.

Setit covered democratic reform demands of eleven prominent reformist politicians to president Isayas Afeorki. After the coverage, ten journalists and eleven reformist politicians were arrested. The names of the journalists include: Dawit Isaak, Seyoum Tsehaye, Dawit Habtemichael, Mattewos Habteab, Fesseaye “Joshua” Yohannes, Amanuel Asrat and Temesegn Gebreyesus, Said Abdelkader, Yosuf Muhamed Ali and Medhanie Haile. The names of the reformist politicians include: Petros Solomon, Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo, Haile Woldense, Mesfin Hagos, Hamid Himid, Estifanos Seyoum, Astier Fesehazion, Germano Nati and Beraki Gebreselassie, Okbe Abraha, Saleh Idris Kekya, Berhane Ghebrezgabiher, Mohammed Berhan Blata, Adhanom Ghebremariam, Kidane Ghebreab Wed Keshi. While the list includes 15 political reformists’ names known as G-15, 3 lives outside the country and one left the group. The remaining 11 names of politicians are called prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.

It has been 24 years since the unlawful imprisonment of the names stated above. Dawit Isaak is held imprisoned without any charges or a trial. He has been subjected to incommunicado detention ever since. He is the world’s longest imprisoned journalist in the world’s most censored country, Eritrea. Under international law, Isaak’s enforced disappearance and prolonged arbitrary detention violated Eritrea’s legal framework and international legal obligations, states Professor Irwin Cotler.

Eritrea has an extensive list of human rights violations. There has been no election since its independence, with no independent media agencies, which puts Eritrea on number 177 for state of press freedom index out of 180 countries. Abusive indefinite forced military service continues to be enforced. Other former ministers have been arrested and remained in incommunicado detention. Same-sex relationships are criminalised up to 7 years of imprisonment. Decades of militarization and repression caused people to flee. As of 2023, approximately 2% of its population sought asylum in another country.

Eritrea is a United Nations member state. In face of human rights abuses, the UN members are advised to impose sanctions. We, as Rights Defenders, urge all the governments to investigate the human rights abuses that have been going over decades in Eritrea and impose sanctions. As a result, we demand the immediate, unconditional release of Dawit Isaak, his journalist colleagues and all other political prisoners that are unlawfully detained by the Eritrean authoritarian regime.

References

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/09/eritrea-release-journalists-and-politicians-arrested-20-years-ago/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawit_Isaak

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-15_(Eritrea)

https://allafrica.com/stories/200109260023.html

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/G-15_(Eritrea)

https://cpj.org/2015/04/10-most-censored-countries/#1

https://www.ibanet.org/World-Press-Freedom-Day-Initiative-in-London-Dawit-Isaak

https://rsf.org/en/2023-world-press-freedom-index-journalism-threatened-fake-content-industry

https://globalsanctions.com/region/eritrea

https://hostageaid.org/swedish-prosecutors-too-passive-in-the-case-of-dawit-isaak/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5BKb00yAw0