Recent High-level Initiatives: Amplifying the Voice of Our Laureates

Welcome to our High-level Initiative page, where we spotlight ongoing initiatives, debates, and petitions from around the world aimed at advancing the causes of our laureates. Here, you’ll find updates on what is being done in the official and political sphere to support their cases and amplify their messages.

We encourage you to share debates and petitions within your networks. Your actions matter—by raising awareness, you show oppressors that the laureates’ struggles are neither forgotten nor ignored.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DAWIT ISAAK

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DAWIT ISAAK

For current publicity please check our “International publicity” page

The initiatives are presented in chronological order below.

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SWEDEN

23 April, 2025

Swedish Parliament Seminar Amplifies Urgent Call for Action in the Case of Dawit Isaak (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.

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SWEDEN

5 April, 2025

Debate article in Sweden’s largest daily, mentioning Dawit Isaak, Gui Minhai, Ahmadreza Djalali and Joakim Melin, urging the Government ot react (5 April 2025)

Debate article in Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s largest daily newspaper, with more than 880,000 readers of the online edition and 470,000 readers in the print edition, with the headline: DN Debatt. ”Fallet Joakim Medin visar på Sveriges svaghet” – “DN Debate: “The case of Joakim Medin highlights Sweden’s weakness”. The article mentions Dawit Isaak and others as part of a broader call for action.

Signatories of the article:

Kerstin Almegård – Chairperson of Svenska Pen (Swedish PEN)
Caroline Edelstam – Chairperson of the Harald Edelstam Foundation
Mona Haghgou Strindberg – Lawyer specialized in arbitrary detentions
Erik Larsson – Chairperson of Reportrar utan gränser (Reporters Without Borders) Sweden

Summary of the article:

In this debate article, the authors discuss the urgent need for Sweden to take more decisive action to protect its citizens imprisoned in authoritarian countries. Joakim Medin, a journalist for ETC, was recently arrested in Turkey, adding to the list of three other Swedish citizens unjustly imprisoned abroad: Dawit Isaak in Eritrea (23 years), Ahmadreza Djalali in Iran (9 years), and Gui Minhai in China (9 years).

The article highlights that while these unlawful detentions are symptomatic of the broader problems within authoritarian regimes, Sweden has a legal obligation, under both national and international law, to protect its citizens from torture and inhumane treatment, and to ensure they have a fair trial and proper legal representation. Despite the government’s reliance on “silent diplomacy,” the authors argue that Sweden’s efforts so far have yielded no visible results.

They call for Sweden to adopt a more proactive approach, including:

• Updating legislation to clarify actions for handling illegal detentions.
• Imposing political and economic sanctions on the detaining states.
• Creating a dedicated organization within the Swedish Foreign Ministry (UD) to handle these cases efficiently, similar to structures already in place in the USA, France, and Canada.
• Ensuring consistent and meaningful updates for the families of detainees and engaging in more active international cooperation.

The article stresses that defending human rights requires time, effort, and financial resources, and it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that citizens facing unlawful imprisonment receive the necessary support.

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SWEDEN

12 March 2025

Sweden Must Apply Equal Pressure for All Imprisoned Citizens, Say Human Rights Advocates, in debate article in Journalisten (12 March 2025)

The debate article titled “Ställ samma krav för Dawit Isaak och Gui Minhai” (“Hold the Same Standards for Dawit Isaak and Gui Minhai”) was published in Journalisten, the official publication of the Swedish Union of Journalists (Journalistförbundet), with a readership of approximately 18,750. It calls for equal diplomatic engagement by the Swedish government in defending all Swedish citizens unjustly imprisoned abroad.

Signatories

Caroline Edelstam – Chairperson of the Edelstam Foundation
Erik Larsson – Chairperson of Reporters Without Borders Sweden
Susanne Berger – Senior Fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, Montreal

Summary of the Article

While welcoming the Swedish government’s firm stance in demanding the release of Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali, the signatories stress that the same level of commitment must be extended to other imprisoned Swedish citizens: journalist Dawit Isaak and publisher Gui Minhai.

• Dawit Isaak has been imprisoned in Eritrea for over 23 years without trial, charges, or legal access. His location and health remain unknown.
• Gui Minhai was abducted by Chinese authorities in Thailand in 2015 and sentenced to ten years in a secret trial in 2020. His family has not heard from him in nearly seven years.

The authors call on the Swedish government to demand their immediate release on humanitarian grounds, ensure access to medical care, and facilitate contact with their families.

They argue that Sweden must live up to its international human rights commitments and that consistency in defending its citizens is crucial for maintaining national and international credibility. The firm stance shown in Djalali’s case should become the standard approach for all cases involving serious human rights violations.

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SWEDEN

8 March 2025

Joint press release by The Edelstam Foundation, Reporters Without Borders and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights following the actions of the Swedish Government in Ahmadreza Djalali’s case (8 March 2025)

PRESS RELEASE: STOCKHOLM, MARCH 8, 2025 –– THE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT’S ACTIONS FOR DJALALI MUST BE FOLLOWED BY DEMANDS FOR ISAAK AND GUI

The Edelstam Foundation, Reporters Without Borders and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights express strong support for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ latest statement on Ahmadreza Djalali, the Swedish citizen and Iranian academic who is at risk of execution and whose health condition has seriously deteriorated. We welcome the government’s resolute action to ensure Djalali’s human rights and demand his immediate release and access to medical care.

Link to the government’s statement in full

In this regard, we would like to emphasize the importance of the government acting equally consistently and forcefully in other similar cases where the human rights of Swedish citizens are violated. We are highlighting the cases of Dawit Isaak and Gui Minhai at this time because the government’s clear stance on Ahmadreza Djalali sets an important standard that should also apply to other Swedish citizens whose situations are equally urgent and serious.

The journalist Dawit Isaak has been imprisoned in Eritrea for over 23 years without trial. His situation bears many similarities to Djalali’s and his health is feared to be very poor. The same applies to Gui Minhai, the Swedish publisher who was kidnapped by the Chinese state from his holiday home in Thailand in 2015 and has been imprisoned in China since then. In both cases, there are good reasons to assume that their health is seriously threatened.

We therefore urge the government to demand with the same determination and principledness:

• Immediate release on humanitarian grounds.
• Immediate access to medical care.
• Reunification with their families.
• Immediate consular access.

“Sweden and the EU have on several occasions strongly opposed the death penalty and advocated for human rights. We now want to see the same diplomatic force mobilized to secure the release of Dawit Isaak and Gui Minhai,” says Caroline Edelstam, President of the Edelstam Foundation.

“It is crucial that the Swedish government acts when the human rights of Swedish citizens are violated, not least to live up to Sweden’s international commitments and strengthen the country’s credibility on human rights issues. We welcome that Ahmadreza Djalali’s case has been highlighted and hope that the government will also act more actively to secure the release of Dawit Isaak and Gui Minhai,” says Erik Larsson, President of Reporters Without Borders Sweden.

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SWITZERLAND

18 February 2025

THE GENEVA SUMMIT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY (18 Feb 2025)

The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy is a major conference that shines a spotlight on urgent human rights situations that require global attention. 

Betlehem Isaak on Eritrea — UN Opening, Geneva Summit 2025

Betlehem Isaak, Swedish-Eritrean writer, and daughter of journalist Dawit Isaak who has been detained in Eritrean prison without trial for 24 years, addressed the U.N. Opening for the 17th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 17th, 2025.

Betlehem Isaak is a Swedish-Eritrean writer and the daughter of Dawit Isaak, the longest arbitrarily detained journalist in the world. 

In 2001, Dawit Isaak, who is a dual Swedish-Eritrean citizen, was arrested and imprisoned without trial during Eritrea’s crackdown on dissent under dictator Isaias Afwerki. Isaak’s newspaper, Setit, was forcibly closed at the same time along with all other independent media in the country. While imprisoned, Isaak has been repeatedly tortured, leading to multiple hospitalizations. 

In 2009, despite Sweden’s efforts to free him, Afwerki publicly stated that Isaak would not be released or stand trial, adding “we know how to handle his kind.”  

From Sweden, Betlehem Isaak has continued advocating for her father’s release. In 2024, she accepted the prestigious Edelstam Prize for courage in the defense of human rights on her father’s behalf. 

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SWEDEN

12 February 2025

SWEDISH GOVERNMENT – STATEMENT OF FOREIGN POLICY (12 Feb 2025)

On 12 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard presented the 2025 Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. Speech by Maria Malmer Stenergard

Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Download the statement as a pdf here

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(LAST PART OF THE STATEMENT, PAGE 9)

Mr/Madam Speaker,

Sweden’s diplomatic presence abroad is one of our main tools to assert our interests.

The Government has therefore conducted a review and can now announce several new missions abroad and other reinforcements.

Sweden’s presence in the United States is being expanded. A new consulate-general in Houston will consolidate cooperation in key industrial sectors such as space, aviation, defence, energy, IT and life sciences.
Our Consulate-General in Brussels is being upgraded to an embassy, reflecting Belgium’s role as an important partner for Sweden in the EU and NATO.

In the coming months, Sweden will open a new embassy in Senegal, which will work to promote our interests in French-speaking West Africa and the Sahel.

We are strengthening Sweden’s presence in the Indo-Pacific region – which is important in terms of trade and security – with the addition of a new Stockholm-based envoy for the Pacific Ocean.

We are also installing a Stockholm-based ambassador to Peru to further promote our relations with key partners in Latin America.

Taken together, these steps aim to strengthen our partnerships and improve conditions for trade, investment and innovation.

Last year, Swedish citizens Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi, who had been wrongfully imprisoned in Iran, came home to Sweden. The Government will continue its efforts to secure the release of journalist Dawit Isaak, publisher and poet Gui Minhai, and researcher Ahmadreza Djalali.

Read the full statement here

Please find the Press Release about the statement here

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USA

4 February 2025

WASHINGTON: THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB DEMANDS THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF JOURNALIST DAWIT ISAAK (4 Feb 2025)

The National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists, and the Club and its Center for Press Freedom are leading voices for press freedom matters in the U.S. and worldwide. The National Press Club stands with press freedom advocates around the world in demanding justice for Mr. Dawit Isaak. In a distinct statement, the President of the National Press Club, Mr. Mike Balsamo, says:

“The National Press Club demands the immediate release of journalist Dawit Isaak, who has been unjustly imprisoned for 23 years — without charges, without a trial, and without regard for basic human rights. Reports have exposed the appalling conditions of his detention, yet Eritrea continues to defy international law and ignore global calls for justice. We believe Isaak is the longest-detained journalist in the world — a grim distinction that underscores the Eritrean government’s contempt for press freedom. Journalism is not a crime. Silencing truth-tellers through indefinite detention is a violation of fundamental human rights, and the time for Isaak’s freedom is long overdue.”

See the National Press Club’s Press Release with Statement here: https://www.press.org/newsroom/eritrea-must-free-journalist-dawit-isaak-detained-23-years

Go The International Press Room of Edelstam Foundation for press material in several languages including Arabic, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and Tigrinya (list will be completed)

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SWEDEN

29 January 2025

THE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TO SECURE DAWIT ISAAK’S RELEASE (29 Jan 2025)

Question 2024/25:705 concerning The Government’s Efforts to Secure Dawit Isaak’s Release
by Rasmus Ling (MP)

Read the original question in Swedish here

Written question 2024/25:705 by Rasmus Ling (MP) (2025-01-23)

To Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

A few months ago, in October 2024, the Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak turned 60 years old. For more than half of his adult life, he has been imprisoned in Eritrea. Dawit Isaak has committed no crime; the reason the Eritrean dictatorship keeps him imprisoned is that he worked for what we take for granted in Sweden and other democracies—the right to freedom of expression and freedom of speech.

During the 23 years that have passed since his imprisonment, various governments have made efforts to secure Dawit Isaak’s release. However, so far, these efforts have yielded no results. Isaak remains imprisoned, and more must be done to bring him home to his family.

In light of this, I would like to ask Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard:

How are the Minister and the government working to ensure that Dawit Isaak is released and allowed to return home to Sweden?

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Response to Question 2024/25:705 – The Government’s Efforts to Secure Dawit Isaak’s Release

Read the original response in Swedish here

To Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Response to question 2024/25:705 from Rasmus Ling (MP)
The Government’s Efforts to Secure Dawit Isaak’s Release

Rasmus Ling has asked me how I and the government are working to ensure that Dawit Isaak is released and allowed to return home to Sweden.

It is deeply concerning that Dawit Isaak has been imprisoned without trial for over 23 years. It is important to emphasize that Eritrea is holding Dawit Isaak in detention, and the responsibility for this lies with them.

The government is strongly committed and working with determination on Dawit Isaak’s case to secure his release and reunification with his family.

The case is continuously raised at various levels, both bilaterally and in multinational forums. I have personally addressed the case with my Eritrean counterpart. Sweden also demands consular access, meaning the right to visit Dawit Isaak in prison. Our demands have not yet been met by Eritrea.

In the most recent government statement, the Prime Minister stressed that the government will continue its efforts to achieve Dawit Isaak’s release, and my predecessor did the same in the foreign policy declaration in February last year. This remains unchanged.

Stockholm, 29 January 2025

Maria Malmer Stenergard

Stakeholders

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CANADA

10 January 2025

THE RAOUL WALLENBERG RESEARCH INITIATIVE RWI-70: REPORT – HOW TO ENHANCE SWEDISH ADVOCACY MECHANISMS FOR CITIZENS ARBITRARILY DETAINED OR MISSING ABROAD (10 jan 2025)

This report developed out of a seminar session held in the Swedish Riksdag on September 18, 2024, as part of the Raoul Wallenberg International Roundtable. This report addresses the longstanding challenges faced by Swedish families advocating for the release of loved ones who are arbitrarily detained or missing abroad. Drawing from historical cases and contemporary examples, the report identifies systemic issues in Sweden’s approach to prisoner advocacy and proposes actionable solutions.

Conclusion

The Swedish government has an important opportunity to lead on the issue of advancing global human rights mechanisms, countering the scourge of international hostage taking and providing better support for its citizens. By adopting the proposed reforms, Sweden can enhance its own human rights advocacy, reduce family distress, and strengthen its position as a champion of international humanitarian law.

Coordinator:

Susanne Berger, Coordinator, sberger37@hotmail.com

Read the Executive Summary and download the report here

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USA

11 December 2024

US SENATOR DURBIN URGES THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS AROUND THE WORLD ON SENATE FLOOR (11 December 2024)

US Senator Durbin, Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Springfield, is the 47th U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois, the state’s senior senator, and the convener of Illinois’ bipartisan congressional delegation. (8,700 subscribers on Youtube)

Durbin starts his floor speech by addressing Eritréa and the case of Dawit Isaak.

Transcript

Please read the full transcript of Senator Durbin’s Floor Speech here

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CANADA

27 November 2024

PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS – 441-02901 (FOREIGN AFFAIRS) 27 Nov 2024

Petition presented to the House of Commons, by PM Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan) Alberta, Canada. November 27, 2024 (Petition No. 441-02901)

Petition to the House of Commons (excerpt)

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:

Whereas:

• Eritrea has been ruled by an authoritarian brutal dictator under a totalitarian system for the last 30 years with no constitution, no election, no parliament, no freedom of press and no freedom of movement and association;

• Advocate for the release of all the imprisoned journalists, including the Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak, and the 11 imprisoned Eritrean Parliamentarians (Petros Solomon, Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo, Haile Woldense, Ogbe Abraha, Hamid Himid, Saleh Idris Kekya, Estifanos Seyoum, Berhane Ghebrezgabiher, Astier Fesehazion, Germano Nati, and Beraki Gebreselassie), and other political prisoners, and all prisoners of conscience; …

Please see the full petition here!

Petition responses from:

Response by the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs. Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): JENNIFER O’CONNELL, M.P.

Response by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Paul Chiang, M.P.

Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant

Please see all the responses here

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SWEDEN

19 November 2024

SWEDISH PROSECUTORS DECLINE INVESTIGATION INTO CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN DAWIT ISAAK CASE (19 Nov 2024)

Summary:

On November 19, 2024, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced it would not launch a preliminary investigation into allegations of crimes against humanity committed by Eritrean officials in the case of Dawit Isaak. This decision coincided with Isaak being awarded the Edelstam Prize 2024 for his extraordinary courage in defending freedom of expression and human rights.

Reporters Without Borders (Reportrar utan gränser) expressed deep disappointment at the decision, highlighting that Isaak, a Swedish-Eritrean journalist, has been imprisoned without trial in Eritrea since 2001. The organization has submitted multiple complaints over the years, urging Swedish authorities to investigate the Eritrean leadership’s actions in relation to Isaak’s prolonged detention. Despite these efforts, the Prosecution Authority concluded that the lengthy duration of Isaak’s imprisonment did not provide sufficient grounds to justify opening a new investigation.

Links:

Link to article by Reporters Without Borders Sweden

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SWEDEN

4 October 2024

DAWIT ISAAK’S CASE TO BE REVIEWED BY SWEDISH PROSECUTOR (4 OCT 2024)

A prosecutor at the Swedish National Unit for International and Organized Crime will examine whether Eritrean politicians have committed crimes against humanity in the case of Dawit Isaak.

Read more on Reporters Without Borders web

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SWEDEN

3 October 2024

MOTION 2024/25:2181 BY MP HELÉN PETTERSSON (S) AND MP FREDRIK LUNDH SAMMELI (S) TITLED: THE RELEASE OF DAWIT ISAAK AND THE DEFENSE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION (3 Oct 2024)

In October 2024, Swedish parliament members Helén Pettersson and Fredrik Lundh Sammeli submitted a motion urging the government to intensify efforts for the release of Dawit Isaak, a Swedish-Eritrean journalist imprisoned in Eritrea since 2001 without trial. The motion emphasizes the importance of defending global press freedom and calls for innovative strategies to secure Isaak’s freedom.

Proposals for Parliamentary Decision

1. The Parliament supports the motion’s call for the government to employ new methods to secure the release of Dawit Isaak and conveys this to the government.
2. The Parliament supports the motion’s call for the government to express strong support for Sweden’s commitment to defending freedom of expression globally and conveys this to the government.

Current Status

The motion is under committee review.
Motion Category: Independent motion; Assigned to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Events: Submitted: 2024-10-03 : Reviewed: 2024-10-03 : Referred: 2024-10-15

Links:

Riksdagen – The Swedish Parliament

Read the original motion here (in Swedish)

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SWEDEN

18 September 2024

COMPLAINT FILED WITH THE SWEDISH PROSECUTION AUTHORITIES (18 Sep 2024)

Summary of action:

On September 18, 2024, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) filed a complaint with the Swedish Prosecution Authority, accusing eight senior Eritrean officials, including President Isaias Afwerki, of crimes against humanity, torture, and enforced disappearance in the case of journalist Dawit Isaak. This marks RSF’s fourth attempt to prompt Swedish legal action regarding Isaak, who has been imprisoned without charge in Eritrea since 2001. The complaint is supported by Swedish PEN and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.

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SWEDEN

10 September 2024

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT POLICY: SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER ULF KRISTERSSON OF SWEDEN (10 SEPTEMBER 2024)

Speaker:

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Parliament, September 10, 2024

Title of speech:

For a richer and safer Sweden – Statement of Government Policy delivered by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Downloads:

• Statement of Government Policy 2024 (PDF, 1 MB)

Translation of relevant section of the statement:

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