11 December 2009

Alert

Journalist Dawit Isaak still in prison after more than eight years


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(RSF/IFEX) - On 10 December 2009, Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak marked his 3,000th day in jail without a trial and without any visits from his family or lawyers.

"It is a disgrace that he remains in prison and it is remarkable that the Swedish government does not try harder to get him released," said Jesper Bengtsson, president of the Swedish section of Reporters Without Borders, and Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Jean-François Julliard. "Sweden should urge the European Union to put more pressure on the Eritrean authorities in the course of negotiating the new aid agreement."

Dawit was arrested in Asmara on 23 September 2001 for defending the freedom of speech of the Eritrean people in the independent newspaper "Setit", which he founded in 1996. No one from outside the prison system has seen Dawit during the past eight years and the Eritrean government has released no information about him or his state of health. Dawit is the only prisoner of conscience with EU citizenship.

A seminar was held in the European Parliament on 9 December about the Dawit case and the situation in Eritrea. Four Swedish Members of the European Parliament, Belgian MEP Louis Michel, Dawit's brother, Esaias Dawit, and others discussed the fact that the EU is about to give 115 million euros in aid to a country that has detained thousands of people without trial.

On 10 December, Dawit was honoured with a silent demonstration outside the Stockholm city hall. The Swedish Journalist Union handed out information to participants but no speeches were made in order not to disturb the Nobel Prize awards ceremony taking place inside the city hall.

Despite having a much smaller population, Eritrea has as many journalists in prison as China and was ranked last in the 2009 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.

Read the report on Eritrea



Source:

Reporters Without Borders
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
 

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More on this case

RSF concerned over fate of Dawit Isaac 3 November 2011 Journalists face threats in covering Dawit Isaac's imprisonment 27 September 2011 Demand freedom for Dawit Isaak 14 September 2011 Detained journalist's brother and RSF tell Sweden and EU they are legally bound to actively seek his release 18 October 2010 Journalists still hunted down nine years after September 2001 purges 21 September 2010 Journalist Dawit Isaak held without trial for almost eight years, believed to be seriously ill 4 February 2009 RSF urges democratic governments to summon Eritrean ambassadors on anniversary of 18 September 2001 crackdown 17 September 2007 RSF urges Eritrean diaspora to intercede on behalf of imprisoned journalists on 2,000th day since "Black Tuesday" 9 March 2007 Freed journalist sent back to jail 6 December 2005 IFJ urges government to allow released journalist to leave country, free others held since 2001 clampdown 22 November 2005 Journalist freed without charge after four years in jail 22 November 2005 RSF calls on Parliament to seek imprisoned journalists' release 1 February 2002

Eritrea

RSF concerned over fate of Dawit Isaac 3 November 2011 Journalists face threats in covering Dawit Isaac's imprisonment 27 September 2011 Prominent journalist arrested, ex-prison guard reveals fate of other detained journalists 13 May 2010 One year after her arrest, Radio Bana journalist being held in solitary confinement 19 February 2010 See all alerts: Eritrea


 
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