More than 180 writers from around the world have signed an open letter to Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki demanding verified proof of life for 12 authors and journalists who have been held incommunicado since a sweeping government crackdown on independent media in 2001. The letter, dated 18 September 2026, marks a quarter-century since the authorities systematically dismantled Eritrea's free press and silenced independent voices.
The signatories include Nobel Prize winners Olga Tokarczuk and JM Coetzee, alongside internationally acclaimed authors such as Colm Tóibín, Elif Shafak, Isabel Allende, Ben Okri, Yann Martel, Kamila Shamsie and Tsitsi Dangarembga. Additional prominent writers backing the appeal include Andrei Kurkov, Anthony Doerr, Chloe Aridjis, Lauren Groff, Lemn Sissay, Maaza Mengiste, Madeleine Thien, Margaret Busby, Max Porter, Philippe Sands, Preti Taneja, Tice Cin and Viv Groskop.
The 12 detained writers named in the letter are poet Amanuel Asrat, playwright and journalist Dawit Isaak, Dawit Habtemichael, Fessehaye "Joshua" Yohannes, Mattewos Habteab, Medhanie Haile, Sahle "Wedi-ltay" Tsegazeab, Said Abdelkadir, Said Idris "Abu Are", Seyoum Tsehaye, Temesgen Ghebreyesus and Yousif Mohammed Ali. According to Reporters Without Borders, the crackdown began on 18 September 2001, when the government rounded up members of the private media and effectively ended press freedom in the country.
What does the letter demand?
The signatories are calling for
immediate, verified proof of life for all arbitrarily detained Eritrean writers and critics. The letter emphasizes that
the families of these writers, the Eritrean people and the global literary community have been met with a painful and unlawful silence. It further states that
to withhold all information regarding their health, location, and survival is a violation of international law and an act of cruelty.
The authors argue that
Eritrea's future must be built with its brightest minds, not based on their suppression, and insist that
no writer or journalist should be disappeared for peacefully expressing their views.
What is the broader context of press freedom in Eritrea?
Eritrea operates as a repressive dictatorship under Afwerki, with no national elections held since the country's independence in 1993. Within days of the 2001 crackdown,
Eritrea's free press and the nation's independent voices were systematically crushed, according to the letter. The situation has remained dire for decades, with little transparency about the fate of those detained.
According to Reporters Without Borders, in 2012 the organisation reported that Dawit Habtemichael, Mattewos Habteab, and Wedi Itay had died in the Eiraeiro prison camp, and said only four of the 2001 detainees were still believed alive at that time. However, no official confirmation has been provided by Eritrean authorities.
Who is coordinating this campaign?
The letter will be delivered by PEN International at the Eritrean embassy in London at 10am on Friday, 18 September 2026. The organisation has launched a broader "Proof of Life Now" campaign running through 2026 to demand proof of life, accountability, and justice for the disappeared writers and journalists.
Burhan Sönmez, president of PEN International, said:
Twenty-five years is an unbearable length of time for any family to live without knowing whether a loved one is alive. These writers have not disappeared from our memory. We will continue to speak their names, and we will continue to demand the truth about what happened to them.
The letter concludes with a commitment from the signatories:
We remain in solidarity with our missing colleagues, and we will not cease our efforts until they are free.
What happens next?
A public event marking 25 years since the disappearances is scheduled for 18 September 2026 from 17:00 to 20:00 at King's College London. The event will feature a panel discussion, expert contributions, a screening of the documentary Dawit: Every Century Has Its Own Hideous Face, and audience Q&A. This gathering will serve as a focal point for renewed international pressure on Eritrean authorities to provide information about the detained writers.
Key Facts
- 188 writers from around the world have signed the letter, including two Nobel laureates and numerous internationally recognised authors
- The 12 detained writers have been held incommunicado without trial, legal representation, or confirmed information about their condition since the 18 September 2001 crackdown
- Eritrea has held no national elections since independence in 1993 and operates under an authoritarian regime with severe restrictions on press freedom
- PEN International's "Proof of Life Now" campaign is running through 2026 to demand accountability and justice for the disappeared writers and journalists
- A commemorative event at King's College London on 18 September 2026 will mark the 25th anniversary of the crackdown and feature documentary screening and panel discussion
