WASHINGTON – THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB DEMANDS THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF JOURNALIST DAWIT ISAAK

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

Edelstam Prize Laureate 2024
Mr. Dawit Isaak was awarded the Edelstam Prize in November 2024 for his outstanding contributions and exceptional courage in standing up for freedom of expression, one’s beliefs, and in the defence of Human Rights. He is a Swedish-Eritrean journalist and writer who has been unjustly imprisoned in Eritrea for over two decades and is the world’s longest arbitrarily detained journalist. 

“The National Press Club’s firmness in their statement reinforces the fact that a prolonged imprisonment of a journalist in these circumstances is not only an act of grave injustice but also a direct threat to the freedom of expression and democracy. Every voice is essential in order to put further pressure on the Eritrean regime, as it systematically curtails a wide range of fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, association, assembly and information, which is handled with censorship, arbitrary arrests, detentions without trial and systematic and pervasive torture. Mass roundups and arbitrary arrests as well as the detention of journalists and human right defenders without trail are unexceptional, says Caroline Edelstam, President of the Edelstam Foundation.

Global Attention and High-Level Initiatives
The Edelstam Prize has brought renewed media attention and high-level initiatives on Mr. Dawit Isaak’s struggle, and has galvanized calls for his release, with governments, human rights organizations, institutions, scholars, human right defenders, and individuals around the world voicing their support.

Collected International Publicity: https://www.edelstam.org/international-publicity/
Collected High-Level Initiatives: https://www.edelstam.org/high-level-inititatives/

“It is wonderful to see the solidarity of the international community and the widespread attention and high-level initiatives for Mr. Dawit Isaak’s case, it gives me hope in humanity. It is important to find ways to enforce national and international law and to promote  accountability for serious abuses of human rights. Where violations have occurred, states must be held accountable. The international community has a responsibility for establishing justice, ensuring the protection of victims, and upholding the principle that nobody is above the law. Democratic countries should put pressure on the perpetrator, in this case Eritrea, which is essential and could have a noticeable effect. Enforced disappearances and persecution of journalists are grave human rights violations,” says Caroline Edelstam, President of the Edelstam Foundation.

Edelstam Foundation respectfully asks the authorities of the State of Eritrea to free Dawit Isaak together with other still imprisoned journalists and members of the G-15, and in any case, to immediately reveal Dawit Isaak’s whereabouts, and to respect without delay his right to be visited and assisted by a lawyer and by Swedish Consular authorities.

Press Contacts
For press materials in several languages and press photos please go to our international Press Room https://www.edelstam.org/international-press-room/ or contact us through press@edelstamprize.org