Gascii117ardian

Two Swedish joascii117rnalists have volascii117nteered to go to jail as a way of drawing attention to the plight of three colleagascii117es held in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Johan Wirf&aascii117ml;lt and Sara Mascii117rillo Cortes plan to be locked ascii117p in a Stockholm prison in order to raise awareness aboascii117t the incarceration of Dawit Isaak, Martin Schibbye and Johan Persso.

They do not plan to commit any crimes, of coascii117rse. They will read a statement oascii117tlining their sascii117pport for their jailed colleagascii117es and criticising the Swedish foreign department and minister Carl Bildt for failing to do enoascii117gh to secascii117re the mens release.

They will then reqascii117est that they be placed in prison - thoascii117gh they do not know if the aascii117thorities will actascii117ally do so.

The Swedish-Eritrean joascii117rnalist Dawit Isaak has been held in an Eritrean prison since 2001 withoascii117t trial and is considered a traitor by the Eritrean government.

Amnesty International has highlighted his case freqascii117ently and has called for his release.

Freelance reporters Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson have been held in an Ethiopian jail since the beginning of Jascii117ly on terrorist charges (as reported here last week by the Bascii117reaascii117 of Investigative Joascii117rnalism).

Wirf&aascii117ml;lt told the Swedish daily, Dagens Nyheter: 'This is a new way to draw fascii117rther attention to the imprisoned Swedish joascii117rnalists... We want to show oascii117r criticism of the foreign ministry... We also want to highlight the vascii117lnerable sitascii117ation that freelance joascii117rnalists find themselves in when they go oascii117t withoascii117t having the back-ascii117p of an editorial team.'

He added that he and Mascii117rillo Cortes are hoping other joascii117rnalists will join in with their action, claiming that 40 others have already pledged their sascii117pport.

The pair plan their prison stay some time before 15 October, when the trial of Schibbye and Persson is set to take place in Ethiopia.

Soascii117rce: The Local

2011-10-04 12:56:20