News photographers detained in Sudan

The Sudanese Journalists Network has condemned the detention of Mohamed Khidir and Majdi Abdallah, photographers who cooperate with the Chinese news agency Xinhua, by the military authorities in Sudan, who continue to clamp-down on journalists, placing the country’s hard-won post-revolution press freedoms under stress.

In a statement yesterday, the network said that the military authorities forcibly took the two photographers to the military district of Omdurman, handcuffed them in an isolated place, and subjected them to interrogation that lasted for hours, after they confiscated their mobile telephones.

The network demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the two colleagues.

Journalists and the media in Sudan have come under increased pressure since the October 25 coup, especially covering the anti-coup, pro-democracy marches and protests calling for a return to civilian rule.

Members of the joint security forces yesterday threw tear gas canisters at crew members of the Al Araby television network while they were filming the Marches of the Millions from their office in Khartoum.

The Sudanese Journalists Network said in a statement last week that the forces, after firing tear gas, cordoned the office for hours “in a new crime against journalists and media professionals in Sudan”.

Last week, joint forces stormed the joint office of the Al Arabiya and Al Hadath satellite TV channels, assaulted the journalists present, destroyed their equipment and stole their belongings. They also threatened the staff of Asharq News Channel and Sky News Arabia.