Index on Censorship » Sudan

Sudan: Journalists arrested in crackdown

Alice Purkiss — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:41:58 +0000

Sudanese security forces have brutally cracked down on protests against government austerity measures, arresting scores of people, including several journalists. Tear gas and rubber bullets were used as police to break up the protests, which have been ongoing since 16 June. Both local and international journalists have been arrested during their coverage of the protests, including Simon Martelli from Agence France Presse and Egyptian journalist Salma al-Wardany, from Bloomberg. Citizen journalist Nagla Sid Ahmed was summoned for questioning by security services on several consecutive days to prevent her from attending and covering the protests.

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Sudan: Newspapers confiscated for publishing statements by Islamist opposition leader

Alice Purkiss — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:43:05 +0000

The entire print-run of two Sudanese newspapers were seized by The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) yesterday. Al-Tayar and Al-Youm Al-Tali newspapers Monday (20 February) editions were confiscated after they published statements made by Hassan al-Turabi the leader of the Popular Congress Party (PCP). Turabi alleged that his office had been wiretapped by security services, and showed journalists some of the listening devices he found. Security agents arrived after midnight at the newspaper’s Khartoum offices and seized the Monday edition. Twenty newspaper reporters protested the confiscation in front of the National Press Council, which licenses newspapers.

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Sudan: Publisher stops press to protest censorship

Alice Purkiss — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:31:02 +0000

The publisher of an independent Sudanese newspaper has withheld an edition of the paper to protest censorship. National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) raided the offices of independent newspaper Al-Jaridah on Sunday, seizing all copies of the first edition of the paper since it was forced to close in 2011. Before the closure, the government had warned the publisher against columns by journalists who previously worked with Ahjras Al Hurriya, another independent newspaper that was banned. As a result of the confiscation, the newspaper’s publisher withheld the Monday edition of the paper in protest against the censorship.

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Sudan: Journalist threatened with murder

Alice Purkiss — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:48:30 +0000

A Sudanese editor has received a death threat following the publication of an article critical of the country’s president, Salva Kiir. Dengdit Ayok, vice-editor of the English-speaking newspaper The Destiny, was arrested and detained for two weeks for publishing a news story on the marriage of the president’s daughter to an Ethiopian. The article was deemed unethical by Sudanese authorities, who also said the newspaper continued publishing “isolated topics that should not be published for the public”.

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Sudan: Parliament witnesses heated discussions over press censorship

Alice Purkiss — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:36:00 +0000

A parliamentary seminar to discuss proposed changes to Sudan‘s press law was subject to a heated debate about pre-publication censorship on Monday. During the seminar, a leading member of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), Fathi Shilah, described press censorship as an act of backwardness regardless of the authority that implements it. The current press law in the country, passed in 2009, has been heavily criticised by journalists who claim the law only appears to create a free press. Newspapers are confiscated and censored by security authorities aiming to prevent publication and large financial penalties can be handed to journalists.

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Sudan: Newspapers ordered not to report rebels’ words or actions

Marta Cooper — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:05:58 +0000

The Sudanese security authorities have instructed newspapers to avoid reporting the activities of rebel groups in the country. Local reports say the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) contacted chief editors of national newspapers and ordered them not to publish any statements by Darfur rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim or leaders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N), which is fighting the government in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

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Sudan: More newspapers confiscated

Sara Yasin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:16:25 +0000

According to a source on the ground in Sudan, National Scurity forces prevented the distribution of Al-Maydan, the newspaper belonging to the Sudanese Communist party on 13 September. Yesterday was the fifth confiscation of the tri-weekly newspaper since last week. Other newspapers have also been confiscated on multiple occasions in the past month.

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Sudan: Copies of newspaper confiscated

Sara Yasin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:36:42 +0000

Al-Sahafa, a Sudanese independent newspaper, was confiscated by security forces on Wednesday, and the Thursday edition was also held from distribution, according to editor Annur Ahmed Annur. Earlier this week, copies of Al-Maydan, the newspaper of Sudan’s communist party, were also confiscated.

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Sudan: Opposition party newspaper confiscated

Sara Yasin — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:29:46 +0000

On Sunday, Sudanese security forces confiscated issues of Al-Maydan, the bi-weekly mouthpiece of the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP). According to the newspaper, this is the sixth time in the last four months that copies have been confiscated.

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Sudan: Copies of newspapers confiscated

Sara Yasin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:06:06 +0000

Between 20 and 23 August, Al-Jaridah, a Khartoum-based Arabic daily newspaper, had issues confiscated by members of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS). According to a press release, no official reason was given for the suspension. However, editor-in-chief Saad Al-Din Ibrahim believes that the paper was suspended because of their refusal to comply with the NISS’s persistence in interfering with the paper’s editorial and recruitment policy. Recently, officials have confiscated a number of publications without explanation, are currently revising Sudan’s press and publications law, and are considering pre-publication censorship.

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