Journalists protest new newspaper seizures in Sudan

For the second consecutive day, the Sudanese security confiscated El Taghyeer newspaper in Khartoum. The security authorities did not provide any reasons for the confiscation. Journalist Hassan Bargiya, member of the Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN), told Radio Dabanga that the network condemns the confiscation of El Taghyeer for two days, and El Akhbar newspaper on Tuesday. El Akhbar resumed printing just a week ago following a previous ban. “This repetitive behaviour by the security apparatus is contrary to all norms, laws and the 2005 Interim Constitution. It confirms the failure of the National Dialogue and everything [the regime] said about freedoms,” Bargiya stressed. Journalists sit-in The SJN organised a sit-in before the National Council for Press and Publications at the end of last week, protesting the harassments against Sudanese journalists. The demonstrators handed a memorandum to the council, demanding the release of detained journalist Hassan Ishag. On 10 June, security forces in En Nahud took Ishag and five student activists into custody, “precautionary, under the emergency law”, they were told. Sudan is classified among the countries which violate press freedom the most, according to the Reporters without Borders’ global press freedom index this year. It was ranked 172 out of the total 180 states. File photo: Journalists protesting in front of the National Council for Press and Publications in Khartoum last week. (Radio Dabanga correspondent) Related: En Nahud detainees transferred, newspapers seized in Sudan (1 July 2014) Sudan’s journalists rally for press freedom in Khartoum (26 June 2014) Press ‘warned’ in Sudan (21 May 2014)