SWEDEN
23 April, 2025
As part of the ongoing high-level advocacy efforts surrounding the case of Mr. Dawit Isaak, recipient of the 2024 Edelstam Prize, a Parliamentary Seminar on Eritrea was recently held at the Swedish Riksdag (Parliament). This event reflects a growing and powerful commitment within Swedish political and civil society to stand up for human rights and demand accountability for the continued imprisonment of Dawit Isaak.
The seminar was hosted by Mr. Morgan Johansson, former Minister of Justice and now Member of Parliament and Foreign Policy Spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party, and Ms. Alexandra Völker, Member of Parliament for the same party. They were joined by Mr. Dawit Isaak’s daughters and brother, representing the Isaak & Isaak Foundation, who gave moving testimonies about the regime’s transnational repression and the personal toll it has taken on their family.
In attendance were members of the Eritrean diaspora, Swedish parliamentarians, human rights defenders, government officials, and long-time supporters of Mr. Isaak.
The seminar addressed how President Isaias Afwerki’s authoritarian regime continues to persecute Eritrean citizens beyond its borders, including in Sweden. Agents of the regime are reported to be monitoring, threatening, and intimidating members of the diaspora community. The speakers stressed that Sweden must not support or provide platforms—through festivals, churches, or youth organisations—that enable authoritarian regimes to extend their influence.
The Edelstam Foundation also emphasised the critical importance of obtaining proof of life for Dawit Isaak, who has been held incommunicado for over 23 years. This is a basic humanitarian obligation that must be fulfilled without delay.
This seminar stands as a clear demonstration of political will and collective responsibility — and a reminder that Sweden must continue to act boldly and consistently to defend democratic values and the rights of its citizens.
