Dawit Isaak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dawit Isaak (born 27 October 1964) is a Swedish-Eritrean playwright, journalist and writer. Dawit Isaak arrived in Sweden as a refugee from the war in Ethiopia in 1987.

When Eritrea gained independence, Dawit returned to his native country. He got married and had children. Eventually he became a part-owner of the country's first independent newspaper, Setit, where he came to work as a reporter.

On September 23, 2001 Isaak was arrested in his home in Asmara, 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 - Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Isaak were hospitalized due to torture. The Eritrean government denies that he has been tortured but does not allow anyone to visit him. Dawit Isaak has not been tried before a court. As he holds dual Swedish and Eritrean citizenship, Swedish authorities are working for his release.

November 19, 2005, Dawit Isaak was released form jail. Official Eritrean sources claimed that he was released only to see a doctor. After only two days in freedom, Dawit Isaak was imprisoned again, on his way to hospital. He is believed to be held in Carchele prison in central Asmara.^[1]

Every week, a number of organisations including Reporters Without Borders and the National Press Club petition the Eritrean Embassy in Stockholm, to free Dawit Isaak.^[2]

On March 2, 2007, Isaak was awarded a newly created prize, dedicated to the memory of Anna Politkovskaya and awarded by the Swedish National Press Club.^[3]