On Wednesday, Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard conducted a working visit to Eritrea's capital Asmara. The Foreign Minister's visit was the first visit to Eritrea by a Swedish government representative since Sweden recognized the country as an independent state in 1993.

During the visit, talks were held with Eritrea's Minister for Foreign Affairs Osman Saleh and the Minister for Information on bilateral relations between Sweden and Eritrea, regional development issues and issues related to peace and security in Africa and the Red Sea region. The Minister for Foreign Affairs also met Eritrea's Minister of Information Yemane Ghebremeskel and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Leul Gebreab.

The visit took place against the backdrop of recent releases of detainees in Eritrea, including 13 prisoners released on 6 December and 98 members of banned churches released on 14 December. The talks were also held in light of the United Nations' call for Eritrea to release around 10,000 people whom the UN considers to be arbitrarily detained.

In connection with the minister's return, Dawit Isaak's daughters Bethlehem and Danait Isaak issue the following statement.

STATEMENT by Betlehem and Danait Isaak

"Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard's visit to Eritrea is welcome. It is a positive sign that the Minister has now chosen to publicly and directly engage in the issue of the fate of our father Dawit Isaak and that she has met with her Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh to address his situation.

We must assume that the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has received some form of assurance in connection with the visit that our father will soon be released. At the same time, serious question marks remain. Eritrea has not yet responded to the Foreign Minister's request of 25 September to release our father on humanitarian grounds. The authorities continue to claim that he is alive, but despite repeated demands, have not provided an unambiguous proof of life.

After 24 years in prison without contact and without trial, such proof is the least one can ask for. It is therefore deeply worrying and a great disappointment that Sweden once again failed to secure such a direct confirmation.

This impasse is unacceptable and must end. The cycle repeats itself: Sweden requests Dawit Isaak’s release, Eritrea says that our father is alive – but delivers no evidence and no results.

The only thing we want is to be reunited with our father in Sweden. The question we continue to ask ourselves is: what is Sweden doing concretely to make this possible? What concrete measures is the Ministry for Foreign Affairs taking to ensure that Eritrea meets Sweden's demands to end our father’s painful ordeal?

We also wish to emphasize the fact that thousands of people in Eritrea continue to be detained without due process."