Tokarczuk and Coetzee lead call for proof that missing Eritrean writers are alive

A letter dated 18 September and signed by 188 writers worldwide has been sent to Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki, demanding information on the fate of 12 writers and journalists who have been held incommunicado since 2001. Signatories include Nobel laureates Olga Tokarczuk and JM Coetzee, along with authors Colm Tóibín, Elif Shafak, Isabel Allende, Ben Okri, Yann Martel, Kamila Shamsie and Tsitsi Dangarembga.

The letter marks 25 years since the Eritrean government crushed the country's independent press and silenced dissenting voices. It names 12 writers who have since been detained without contact with the outside world, including poet Amanuel Asrat and playwright-journalist Dawit Isaak. Also named are Dawit Habtemichael, Fessehaye Yohannes, Mattewos Habteab, Medhanie Haile, Sahle Tsegazeab, Said Abdelkadir, Said Idris, Seyoum Tsehaye, Temesgen Ghebreyesus and Yousif Mohammed Ali.

The letter states that the writers' families, the Eritrean people and the global literary community have for years faced complete silence about the detainees' health, whereabouts and even whether they are alive — something signatories describe as a violation of international law. It calls for immediate, verified proof of life for all arbitrarily detained Eritrean writers and critics.

Eritrea has been led by Afwerki since gaining independence in 1993 and has never held national elections. PEN International plans to attempt delivery of the letter to the Eritrean embassy in London on Friday, having also launched a public petition earlier this year making the same demand. PEN International president Burhan Sönmez said 25 years of not knowing a loved one's fate is an unbearable burden for families and that the organisation will keep demanding the truth.