The Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak gets a big fancy price. He gets UNESCO prize for press freedom. UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Dawit Isaak is a journalist and author who came from Eritrea to Sweden in 1987, and he became a Swedish citizen. When Eritrea became an independent country, he went back. He helped start a newspaper that criticized the government of Eritrea.
Dawit Isaak was arrested by the police in 2001. He has not received a trial, but he is still in prison.
The Swedish government says that they work for Dawit Isaak should be free, but they will not tell me what to do. Many organizations working for human rights has also committed to getting Dawit Isaak free.
A jury of journalists from different countries have decided that Dawit Isaak should receive Unesco press freedom prize of the year. He receives the prize for her against the resistance and its faith in freedom. The price is 25,000 dollars. It is awarded annually on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May.
The Swedish organization Reporters Without Borders has been working with Dawit Isaaks case for over 10 years. Jonathan Lundqvist is the leader of the organization. He says that such a large price can affect Dawit Isaaks case, in a good way. There is much international attention, and it may influence the Eritrean government.
– It draws course to themselves a kind of spotlight. And that means that this personern get some protection. Because suddenly this fate an international affair. And it can be very useful, says Jonathan Lundqvist.