Daughter of jailed Eritrean journalist continues to fight for his release

Journalist Betlehem Isaak, the girl of writer Dawit Isaak — a dual Eritrean-Swedish national imprisoned without proceedings successful Eritrea since 2001— accepted the 2024 Edelstam Prize connected her father's behalf Tuesday during a ceremonial astatine the House of Nobility successful Stockholm.

The prize honors Dawit for his "outstanding courage" successful championing state of expression. The judges noted his committedness to advocating for ideology successful Eritrea contempt harassment, threats and repeated interrogations.

"His punishment, his perpetual unlawful detention, ne'er charged with a crime, defenseless and deprived of his basal rights without a trial, his de facto presumption of civilian death, is untenable," said Caroline Edelstam, seat of the Edelstam Prize assemblage and co-founder of the Edelstam Foundation.

The nonaccomplishment of her begetter not lone has brought symptom but has besides taught her resilience, Betlehem said. Speaking to VOA from Gothenburg, Sweden, up of the grant ceremony, she said continuing her father's bequest is some a achy load and a root of inspiration.

"Losing a genitor arsenic a 7-year-old small miss is, of course, precise traumatic," Betlehem said. "But it's besides the spot I get from it today, and I truly worth it, adjacent though I don't privation this connected my worst enemies."

Arrested during 2001 crackdown

Dawit was arrested during a authorities crackdown connected autarkic media successful Eritrea successful September 2001.

Eritrea ranks among the astir tightly controlled countries successful the world. A state with nary autarkic media, Eritrea subjects each citizens to indefinite nationalist work and has ne'er held nationalist elections. Twenty-one journalists and politicians from the 2001 roundup stay successful detention, according to Amnesty International.

Betlehem said though her father's disappearance near a void successful the family, she chose to travel successful his footsteps and advocator for justness and state of expression.

"Freedom, successful general, is really thing that we person to combat for astir each day," she said.

This idiosyncratic conflict has informed Betlehem's position arsenic a journalist. In her work, she highlights the stories of those who look oppression.

She said that her father's plight should not beryllium taken "for granted, particularly erstwhile it comes to freedom."

'I proceed the work'

In much than 23 years, Dawit's imprisonment has prompted planetary campaigns and requests from the Swedish authorities for his release.

"My begetter is really a symbol," Betlehem said, adding that his communicative and "his colleagues with him" are "a awesome of what's truly happening and has happened successful Eritrea for the past 25 years."

For her, continuing his bequest is some a privilege and a responsibility. Though she was conscionable a small miss erstwhile helium was taken away, she follows his principles.

"I proceed the enactment that my begetter and his colleagues started," she said. The Eritrean authorities "will ne'er soundlessness their voice, due to the fact that I americium my father's voice, and I americium besides the dependable of each Eritrean."

Several attempts by VOA to scope retired to the authorities connected Dawit's presumption went unanswered.

Daughter calls for father's release

Betlehem's advocacy extends beyond journalism. She often engages successful campaigns calling for her father's merchandise and raises consciousness astir property freedom.

Despite challenges, Betlehem remains hopeful. Without going into details, she said, she has impervious of beingness to support her going.

"We cognize that my begetter is alive, and we cognize that that's the truth," she said. "We person sources that accidental that, and we judge those sources."

Freedom isn't conscionable astir penning oregon speaking arsenic a writer wherever there's censorship, she said.

"You cannot adjacent beryllium arsenic a escaped quality being," she said. "You cannot adjacent think."

This communicative originated successful VOA's Africa Division.