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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urged the immediate release of four Eritrean journalists who have been imprisoned without trial for 24 years, calling on the international community to intervene to end “this serious violation of their rights.”
Eritrea, ruled with an iron grip by 79-year-old Isaias Afwerki since its independence in 1993, is regarded as one of the most isolated nations in the world. The country has not conducted elections in over three decades and currently ranks last out of 180 countries on RSF’s Press Freedom Index.
In 2001, authorities launched a sweeping crackdown on independent media, shutting down outlets and detaining several reporters, including Temesgen Ghebreyesus, Seyoum Tsehaye, Amanuel Asrat, and Dawit Isaak. According to RSF, they “are now the longest-serving journalists in the world imprisoned without trial.”
Sadibou Marong, head of RSF’s Sub-Saharan Africa desk, condemned their treatment, stating that the 24 years of detention amount to “moral and psychological torture perpetuated by the Eritrean authorities.” Dawit, who also holds Swedish citizenship, was briefly released in 2005 but re-arrested two days later. RSF added, “Since then, there has been no sign of life.”
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Ghebremeskel did not respond to AFP’s request for comment. RSF has appealed to “Sweden and the international community to do everything possible to put an end to this serious violation of the rights of these journalists.”
The watchdog has filed multiple complaints with the Swedish prosecutor’s office, accusing President Afwerki of crimes against humanity. However, no investigation has been opened, with RSF accusing Swedish authorities of “turning a deaf ear.” The prosecutor’s office declined to address RSF’s criticisms, telling AFP it would “make no comment” but explained that the complaints had not advanced due to Eritrea’s lack of cooperation.
In June, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, denounced “systematic” rights abuses. Dissenting voices in the nation of about 3.5 million people are said to vanish into prison camps, while civilians face indefinite conscription and forced labour—practices the United Nations has described as a form of slavery.
