Critical journalists held, summoned in Sudan

The security services in Khartoum summoned the editor-in-chief of the Baath Newspaper, Mohamed Widaa, from 1 pm to 4:30 pm after the newspaper on Monday carried an article critical of the the visit of Turkish President Erdogan.

News sources said that the security apparatus considered what was published as negative and against the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week.

Mohamed Widaa wrote an article on repressive campaigns and demanded that Erdogan should apologise for the atrocities committed by his ancestors in Sudan from 1821 to 1886 (during which Sudan was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire).

Last week, the security services summoned editor-in-chief of El Watan Newspaper, Yousif Seraj and held him for more than two days.

Kassala

On Monday, Kassala State police has held journalist Manzil Zakariya for more than 24 hours against the backdrop of a report by the state security services before releasing him with a normal bail on Tuesday morning.

Sources from Kassala told Radio Dabanga that at 9 a.m. on Monday the security apparatus summoned journalist Manzil Zakariya and handed him over to El Awsat police station in Kassala.

The sources said that the security apparatus filed a complaint against him under the information crimes’ act because of articles written on websites criticising the policies of the state government.

The sources accused the state police of obstructing the bail-out procedures by not granting Zakariya permission until Tuesday after has been detained for more than 24 hours.