Nobel Laureates and Writers Demand Proof of Life for Detained Eritrean Journalists

More than 180 writers have signed a letter addressed to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, calling for proof of life regarding 12 writers and journalists who have been detained incommunicado since 2001, according to The Guardian.

The letter, dated 18 September, is signed by Nobel laureates Olga Tokarczuk and JM Coetzee, alongside other prominent authors including Colm Tóibín, Elif Shafak, Isabel Allende, Ben Okri, Yann Martel, Kamila Shamsie and Tsitsi Dangarembga, the report said.

The letter marks 25 years since a government crackdown on Eritrea's independent press, which the signatories describe as a turning point for free expression in the country. "Within days, Eritrea's free press and the nation's independent voices were systematically crushed," the letter states, according to The Guardian.

The 12 writers named in the letter were arrested in 2001 as part of the crackdown and have not been seen or heard from since, according to the report. The signatories are calling on the Eritrean government to confirm whether the detained individuals are alive.

The Guardian's report did not specify whether the Eritrean government has responded to the letter or to previous inquiries about the detainees' status.