Sudan’s Press Council suspends El Tayyar

Sudan’s Press Council issued an order yesterday suspending publication of El Tayyar daily newspaper for two days for publishing a column by journalist Shamayel El Nur in which she “criticised the judiciary and its provision”. The suspension comes into effect today.

Editor-in-chief Osman Mirghani told Radio Dabanga that the decision was issued without the newspaper having the right to appeal to the judiciary, He said “the newspaper has tried in recent days to challenge the ruling and appeal to the judiciary, but there not enough to get a decision from the press court to suspend the ruling until it is considered in effect”.

He said that the decision is practically in effect today and tomorrow, although the case is still pending in the press court.

He expressed belief that these new developments will have a negative and serious effect on press freedoms in Sudan.

In September 14 in her daily column in El Tayyar, Shamayel El Nur protests by the residents of El Jireif West against the court’s verdict on the death of those accused of killing the director of the former cotton company, the broad rejection of the death sentence handed down to student Asim Omar, and the brother of Mohamed Taha’s charges against the National Congress Party and the Popular Congress Party of killing of his brother.

In her column, she said this as a clear indication of the lack of confidence in all judicial organs, saying that those who resist the rule of justice see the law applied on the weak by the strong.