USA
4 August 2025
In a debate article first published on Hostage Aid Worldwide, Susanne Berger, Senior Fellow with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR), and Caroline Edelstam, Co-Founder and President of the Edelstam Foundation, invoke Swedish diplomat Harald Edelstam’s legacy to argue for a stronger application of the “Responsibility to Protect” principle in confronting arbitrary detention and hostage diplomacy. They urge the Swedish government to act decisively in the case of Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian scholar on death row in Iran, warning that “a resolute defense of their citizens is not merely a task but a fundamental duty.”
The authors also draw attention to Dawit Isaak, a Swedish-Eritrean citizen, author, and journalist, imprisoned in Eritrea without trial for 23 years, whose fate remains unknown. Citing the failure to secure Djalali’s release during previous prisoner exchanges, they emphasize that Sweden “could have secured the release of all its nationals and several other European hostages… had it understood the value of the card it was holding.” They stress that Sweden and the EU must “leave no doubt” that protecting their citizens is a non-negotiable obligation, requiring unity, creativity, and moral courage.
Read the full article on Hostage Aid Worldwide
Read the full article on Substack “My2Cents” by Susanne Berger
