More than 180 writers have signed an open letter addressed to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki demanding proof of life for a group of 12 writers who have been detained since 2001. The letter, organized by Pen International and dated September 18 to mark the 25th anniversary of a government crackdown on independent media, highlights concerns over the continued incommunicado detention of these individuals.

Among the signatories are Nobel laureates Olga Tokarczuk and J.M. Coetzee, alongside prominent authors including Colm Tóibín, Elif Shafak, Isabel Allende, Ben Okri, Yann Martel, Kamila Shamsie, and Tsitsi Dangarembga. The letter recounts that within days of Eritrea’s independence, the government systematically dismantled the free press and silenced independent voices, arresting numerous journalists and writers.

The 12 writers named include poet Amanuel Asrat, playwright and journalist Dawit Isaak, 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. All have reportedly been held without communication, and there has been no official confirmation of their status or whereabouts since their detention.

The letter emphasizes that the lack of information regarding the detained writers constitutes a violation of international law and describes their enforced disappearance as an act of cruelty. It also notes the impact of their absence on their families, the Eritrean public, and the international literary community.

Eritrea has been ruled as an authoritarian state under Afwerki since its independence in 1993, with no national elections held in that time. The government’s history of suppressing dissent has drawn repeated criticism from human rights organizations.

The letter calls on President Afwerki to provide immediate and verifiable proof of life for the detained writers, urging that Eritrea’s future should include contributions from its brightest minds rather than be built on their repression. Signatories argue that no writer or journalist should be forcibly disappeared for peacefully expressing their views.

Pen International also launched a public petition this year seeking the same outcome. Burhan Sönmez, president of Pen International, said the ongoing silence surrounding the fate of the detainees is intolerable, noting that "twenty-five years is an unbearable length of time for any family to live without knowing whether a loved one is alive." He added that the organization remains committed to advocating for the missing writers until they are freed or their fate is clarified.