Dawit Isaak
Encyclopedia
Dawit Isaak is a Swedish-Eritrean playwright
, journalist
and writer
. Isaak has been held in Eritrean prison since 2001 without trial and is considered a traitor by the Eritrean government. Amnesty International
considers him a prisoner of conscience
and has called for his immediate and unconditional release. He is the only Swedish citizen held as a prisoner of conscience.
citizen on 4 November 1992. Isaak lived in the west coast city of Gothenburg
. When Eritrea
gained independence, Isaak returned to his native country, got married and had children. He began work as a reporter for the country's first independent newspaper, Setit. Eventually, he became a part-owner of the newspaper.
, Eritrea
. Concurrently, 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 "quiet diplomacy" according to government sources.
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.
Every week, a number of organisations, including Reporters Without Borders
and the National Press Club, petition the Eritrean Embassy in Stockholm to free Isaak.
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 first pages. In addition, the five newspapers will feature joint reports on Isaak's situation, and a joint petition which was handed over to the Eritrean Embassy in Stockholm on 4 May. By 4 May, 209,963 people had signed the petition.
On 26 May 2009, during an interview with the Swedish TV4 (channel 4) the president of Eritrea dismissed the issue altogether by saying "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."
The "quiet diplomacy" method that the Swedish authorities have employed to work for Isaak's release has been criticised by Swedish media, and the president of the Swedish section of Reporters Without Borders
, Jesper Bengtsson, made 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."
channel "Radio 1" claimed that Dawit Isaak could be dead.
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. Isaak has been held in Eritrean prison since 2001 without trial and is considered a traitor by the Eritrean government. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
considers him a prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
and has called for his immediate and unconditional release. He is the only Swedish citizen held as a prisoner of conscience.
Asylum and Swedish citizenship
Isaak came to Sweden in August 1987 and he became a SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
citizen on 4 November 1992. Isaak lived in the west coast city of Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. When Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
gained independence, Isaak returned to his native country, got married and had children. He began work as a reporter for the country's first independent newspaper, Setit. Eventually, he became a part-owner of the newspaper.
Imprisonment
On 23 September 2001, Isaak was arrested in his home in AsmaraAsmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
. Concurrently, 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
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
, 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 "quiet diplomacy" according to government sources.
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.
Every week, a number of organisations, including Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
and the National Press Club, petition the Eritrean Embassy in Stockholm to free Isaak.
On 27 March 2009, four of the five largest newspapers in Sweden, Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet is a Swedish tabloid founded by Lars Johan Hierta in 1830 during the modernization of Sweden. It is one of the larger daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. Aftonbladet is owned by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and Norwegian media group Schibsted, and its editorial page...
, Expressen
Expressen
Expressen is one of two nationwide evening tabloid newspapers in Sweden, the other being Aftonbladet. Expressen was founded in 1944; its symbol is a wasp and slogans "it stings" or "Expressen to your rescue", always on the reader's side....
, Dagens Nyheter
Dagens Nyheter
is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It has the largest circulation of Swedish morning newspapers, followed by Göteborgs-Posten and Svenska Dagbladet, and is the only morning newspaper that is distributed to subscribers across the whole country. In 2009 DN had a circulation of 316,000, reaching 881...
and Svenska Dagbladet
Svenska Dagbladet
Svenska Dagbladet is a daily newspaper in Sweden. The first issue appeared on 18 December 1884. Svenska Dagbladet is published in Stockholm and provides coverage of national and international news as well as local coverage of the Greater Stockholm region...
, featured a plea for the release of Isaak on their first pages. In addition, the five newspapers will feature joint reports on Isaak's situation, and a joint petition which was handed over to the Eritrean Embassy in Stockholm on 4 May. By 4 May, 209,963 people had signed the petition.
On 26 May 2009, during an interview with the Swedish TV4 (channel 4) the president of Eritrea dismissed the issue altogether by saying "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."
The "quiet diplomacy" method that the Swedish authorities have employed to work for Isaak's release has been criticised by Swedish media, and the president of the Swedish section of Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
, Jesper Bengtsson, made 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."
Rumors about death
There has been rumors about Isaak being killed several times. The latest time was on 27 October 2011, his 47th birtday, when Swedish commercial radioCommercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship...
channel "Radio 1" claimed that Dawit Isaak could be dead.
Awards
- On 2 March 2007, Isaak was awarded a newly created prize, dedicated to the memory of Anna PolitkovskayaAnna PolitkovskayaAnna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
and awarded by the Swedish National Press Club. - In 2009 Isaak was awarded the Kurt-Tucholsky-Prize of the swedisch P.E.N.-Association.
- He was awarded the Norwegian "Ytringsfrihetsprisen", the Freedom of Expression Prize for 2009, at the annual meeting of the Norwegian Authors' Union on 14 March 2010.
- In October 2011 Isaak received the Golden Pen of Freedom Award of the World Association of NewspapersWorld Association of NewspapersThe World Association of Newspapers is a non-profit, non-governmental organization made up of 76 national newspaper associations, 12 news agencies, 10 regional press organisations and individual newspaper executives in 100 countries...
. The award was handed over in ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to his brother Esias Isaak.