“The clearest example is that no action has been taken several months after the Foreign Minister’s official demand for Dawit Isaak’s immediate release, despite Eritrea’s continued refusal to comply. Appeasing autocrats does not make them more cooperative – it strengthens them,” says Caroline Edelstam, President of the Edelstam Foundation, quoted in an article in Expressen on 30 April 2026.
Swedish journalist Martin Schibbye, from the investigative news site Blankspot, recently visited Eritrea, where he was given the opportunity to report from the country and interview government representatives, including Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and Minister of Information Yemane Ghebremeskel.
The visit followed the official trip to Eritrea in December by Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard, during which she raised the case of Dawit Isaak and called for his immediate release.
In Schibbye’s article from Eritrea, Caroline Edelstam, President of the Edelstam Foundation, was invited to comment on Sweden’s handling of the case.
Images shown above are print screens from Expressen and Blankspot
Read the full article by journalist Martin Schibbye published in Expressen and Blankspot here:
“Minister discloses details of secret Dawit meeting”
(Expressen, April 30, 2026); Link to article in Swedish below:
https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/varlden/ministern-avslojar-detaljerna–om-hemliga-dawit-motet
“A tentative opening between Sweden and Eritrea following the ministerial visit”
(Blankspot, April 30, 2026); Link to article in Swedish below:
