188 Writers Demand Proof of Life for 12 Detained Eritreans

Asmara, Eritrea, has produced no public confirmation of the health or whereabouts of 12 writers and journalists detained without trial since a September 2001 crackdown, prompting 188 writers worldwide to sign a letter to President Isaias Afwerki demanding proof of life, according to The Guardian.

Nobel laureates Olga Tokarczuk and JM Coetzee lead the list of signatories, joined by Colm Tóibín, Elif Shafak, Isabel Allende, Ben Okri, Yann Martel, Kamila Shamsie and Tsitsi Dangarembga. The letter, organized by PEN International and dated September 18, marks 25 years since Eritrea's government moved against independent media outlets and dissenting officials.

Who are the 12 detained writers?

The letter names poet Amanuel Asrat and playwright and journalist Dawit Isaak alongside 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. Six were profiled by The Guardian in 2015, according to the newspaper.

Why did Eritrea arrest them in 2001?

The letter states that "within days, Eritrea's free press and the nation's independent voices were systematically crushed," describing a rapid dismantling of the country's fledgling independent media sector that year, per the text cited by The Guardian.

What does the PEN letter demand?

Signatories are calling for "immediate, verified proof of life" for all 12 writers, according to the letter. It accuses Eritrean authorities of unlawful conduct in withholding information about the detainees' condition.

"To withhold all information regarding their health, location, and survival is a violation of international law and an act of cruelty," the letter states, as reported by The Guardian.

What has happened to the writers since 2001?

The letter says families, the Eritrean public and the international literary community have faced what it calls "a painful and unlawful silence" in the 25 years since the arrests, per the Guardian's report. No government statement addressing the detainees' status is cited in the available reporting.

By the numbers

• 12 writers named in the PEN International letter as detained incommunicado since 2001.
• 188 total signatories to the letter, including two Nobel laureates in literature.
• 25 years since the crackdown the letter says "crushed" Eritrea's independent press.

What to watch

• Whether Eritrean authorities respond publicly to the letter or to past inquiries about the detainees.
• Any statement from PEN International detailing further international pressure or diplomatic outreach tied to the anniversary.
• Whether additional writers' organizations or governments issue parallel statements referencing the same 12 names.

The letter was organized by PEN International and addressed directly to Isaias Afwerki, Eritrea's president since the country's 1993 independence, according to The Guardian's account of the September 18 statement.