More than 180 writers have signed a letter addressed to Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki demanding confirmation of the fate of 12 authors who have been detained incommunicado since a 2001 government crackdown on the independent press.
Organised by PEN International and dated 18 September to mark 25 years since the arrests, the letter renews calls for information and accountability. Signatories include Nobel laureates Olga Tokarczuk and J.M. Coetzee, and prominent authors such as Colm Tóibín, Elif Shafak, Isabel Allende, Ben Okri, Yann Martel, Kamila Shamsie and Tsitsi Dangarembga.
"Within days, Eritrea’s free press and the nation’s independent voices were systematically crushed," the letter states, invoking the events that followed the 2001 suppression of independent media. The writers urge the Eritrean president to provide proof of life or reliable information about the detained individuals.
PEN International framed the appeal as a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the crackdown and a continued effort to press for transparency and the protection of writers. The signatories said their collective action aims to keep international attention on the unresolved cases and to demand accountability from Eritrean authorities.
The letter represents a broad coalition of literary figures seeking an official response from Asmara. It adds to longstanding international concern about restrictions on freedom of expression in Eritrea and the unresolved status of those taken into custody in 2001.