Sweden – Susanne Berger, Mar. 17, 2026
Why do Sweden and the EU not insist more forcefully on the release of Swedish and EU citizen Dawit Isaak? The answer lies in the EU’s official policy approach to Eritrea.
According to internal EU documents from 2022, the EU has “no alternative” but to engage with Eritrea, given its important strategic interests in the Horn of Africa. As a result, the Afwerki regime has virtually no reason to fear any direct confrontation with European leaders or accountability for its crimes. It also means that the Eritrean government has no incentive to release its long-term political prisoners, including Swedish journalist Dawit Isaak.
“The 2022 summary report contains not a single reference to the enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention of a fellow EU citizen, Dawit Isaak, for almost a quarter of a century.
Dawit Isaak’s release not a priority
More than five months have passed since Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard demanded the immediate release of Swedish journalist Dawit Isaak on humanitarian grounds.
Eritrea’s only response so far appears to have been the invitation extended to Malmer Stenergard in December 2025, which resulted in a surprise two-day visit to the country. At the time, Malmer Stenergard expressed confidence that her new pragmatic approach to bilateral contacts would allow both sides to address sensitive issues more effectively, including the fate of Dawit Isaak.
Mr. Isaak has suffered 24 years of unlawful detention in Eritrea. In all this time, his family has not had any contact with him or even a basic proof of life. Instead, they have received only vague assurances from Eritrean and Swedish officials that Mr. Isaak remains imprisoned, despite rumors of his suffering from possibly serious health problems. Family members as well as human rights advocates are wondering why the Swedish Foreign Minister and the EU have not confronted Eritrea more directly, conveying in no uncertain terms that they consider Dawit Isaak’s release a priority and absolute necessity before any further normalization of relations can proceed.
Malmer Stenergard has emphasized that she repeatedly impressed on the Eritrean leadership the “importance” of freeing Mr. Isaak. However, the Swedish Foreign Minister notably refrained from any public criticism of Eritrea brutalizing a Swedish and EU citizen for over two decades, as well as the country’s abysmal overall human rights record.
No mention of political prisoners in 2022 EU report
A closer look into Sweden’s and the EU’s relations with Eritrea over the past decade provides a possible explanation for Malmer Stenergard’s restraint. It suggests that the regime of President Isaias Afwerki has virtually no incentive to release long-term political prisoners and can feel essentially secure that the EU will not seek any direct confrontation over the issue.
