Journalists protest in Khartoum against arrests, confiscation of papers

Dozens of Sudanese journalists organized a peaceful protest on Sunday against the confiscation of issues of Ajras Al Hurriya and Al Midan newspapers by the security services. The papers were meant to go to press last Wednesday and Thursday.

The protest took place in front of the headquarters of Ajras Al Hurriya (‘Bells of freedom’) newspaper. Fayz El Sheik El Silik, deputy editor-in-chief of Ajras Al Hurriya, said that the security agency is trying to inflict financial damage on the newspaper in order to shut it down, and considered that a plan by the regime to eliminate the independent newspaper. El Silik revealed that Ajras Al Hurriya will be published on Monday after a 3-day interruption.

The protesters also demanded the release of the journalists Jaafar Al Sabki of Sahafa newspaper, who was arrested six months ago and Abuzerr Ali Al Amin who was jailed for more than a year. Sabki wrote for Al Sahafa newspaper, and Abuzerr for Rai Al Shaab, the paper of Islamist leader Hassan Al Turabi.  

The network of journalists said that 15 journalists have been arrested since January by the security services. According to the attorney Ali Mahmoud Hassanein, head of the Broad National Front, the detention of journalists, including  Sabki and Abuzerr, and the confiscation of newspapers shows the government’s fear of popular uprising. He said the regime is haunted by this prospect, which he called imminent. Hassanein opined to Radio Dabanga that the government cannot stand newspapers that defend human rights and reveal corruption, and he expressed amazement at the Constitutional Court’s support for the intervention of the security service in monitoring the newspapers.