Sudan’s Press Court hears NISS cases against journalists

On Wednesday afternoon, the Sudanese Press and Publications Court held a procedural hearing for the trial of Nada Ramadan, a journalist of El Jareeda newspaper, and handled a complainant filed by National Intelligent and Security Service (NISS).

The subject of the investigation was a press article published by the newspaper regarding the burial of hazardous chemicals in Sudan last November.

The Press Court held a second procedural hearing on the trial of a journalist, Ali Daly, of Akher Lahza newspaper in a complainant filed by the NISS.

The same day, the Court also handled the trial of a third journalist, Azza Abu Ouf in a complainant filed by National Ribat University for the Defamation of Character.

The University is demanding the financial compensation of SDG10 million ($1.6 million) to be paid in equal halves by Abu Ouf and his newspaper.

The NISS imposes strict restrictions on press freedom, as well as the freedom of dissemination and circulation of information, and conducts prior censorship of publications, as part of its ‘red-lines policy’ on subjects that Sudanese media are not allowed to report on. Recently included are the protests at universities in Khartoum, Omdurman, and Port Sudan.

Sudan ranked among one of the lowest countries in the annual World Press Freedom Index.