188 writers urge Eritrea to provide proof of life for detained journalists
A letter signed by 188 writers on 18 September 2026 asks Eritrea for verified information on 12 writers and journalists missing since the 2001 media crackdown.
In short
- A letter signed by 188 writers on 18 September 2026 asks Eritrea for verified information on 12 writers and journalists missing since the 2001 media crackdown.
A letter signed by 188 writers on 18 September 2026 has renewed demands for Eritrean authorities to provide verified information about 12 writers and journalists detained during the country's 2001 crackdown on independent media.
English PEN said the appeal to President Isaias Afwerki supports the international Proof of Life campaign. Signatories include Nobel literature laureates Olga Tokarczuk and J. M. Coetzee, alongside Isabel Allende, Ben Okri and Tsitsi Dangarembga.
The appeal concerns writers including Amanuel Asrat and Dawit Isaak. According to PEN, their families and colleagues have received no verified information about their whereabouts, health or survival for a quarter-century. The organisation says they have been held without trial and without contact with the outside world.
The new letter adds literary support to a campaign launched on 26 June 2026 by PEN organisations seeking information about the missing writers and their release. It does not establish whether the detainees are alive. No response from Eritrean authorities was included in the material reviewed.
