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
For current publicity please check our “International publicity” page
DAWIT ISAAK
USA
11 December 2024
US SENATOR DURBIN URGES THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS AROUND THE WORLD ON SENATE FLOOR
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.
VIDEO: US SENATOR DURBIN URGES THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS AROUND THE WORLD ON SENATE FLOOR
Transcript
Please read the full transcript of Senator Durbin’s Floor Speech here
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
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
CANADA
27 November 2024
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS – 441-02901 (FOREIGN AFFAIRS)
Petition presented to the House of Commons, by PM Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan) Alberta, Canada. November 27, 2024 (Petition No. 441-02901)
Member of Parliament
Garnett Genuis, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, Conservative Caucus, Alberta
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
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
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
- 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.
- 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)
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:
Translation of relevant section of the statement:
Mänskliga rättigheter, inklusive yttrandefriheten, är en hörnsten inom den liberala demokratin. Regeringen kommer att fortsätta arbetet för att uppnå en frigivning av journalisten Dawit Isaak och förläggaren och poeten Gui Minhai.
Human rights, including freedom of expression, are a cornerstone of liberal democracy. The government will continue its efforts to secure the release of journalist Dawit Isaak and publisher and poet Gui Minhai.
SWEDEN
18 September 2024
COMPLAINT FILED WITH THE SWEDISH PROSECUTION AUTHORITIES
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.
4 October 2024
DAWIT ISAAK’S CASE TO BE REVIEWED BY SWEDISH PROSECUTOR
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
19 November 2024
SWEDISH PROSECUTORS DECLINE INVESTIGATION INTO CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN DAWIT ISAAK CASE
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
SWEDEN
29 January 2025
THE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TO SECURE DAWIT ISAAK’S RELEASE
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?
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
SWITZERLAND
18 February 2025
THE GENEVA SUMMIT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
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 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.
