Sudanese journalists condemn ‘abuses of power’

The Sudanese Organisation of Journalists for Human Rights (JAHR) has highlighted that journalists in Sudan are facing abusive lawsuits by officials and Constitutionalists, “which constitutes an abuse of power and influence in an attempt to intimidate the press”. A JAHR press statement on Monday says that the security apparatus is attempting “to force journalists to withdraw from criticism of government performance or handle issues of financial and administrative corruption in the country”. The prosecution office of press and publications ordered El Jareeda journalist Aza Ibn Oaf and columnist Salah Ahmed Abdalla to appear at its headquarters in Khartoum on Tuesday morning. They were summoned for questioning on complainants by the Governor of Khartoum, Abdel Rahman El Khidir, under article 159 of the Criminal Code of Defamation of Character. Earlier this month, security services summoned the Editor-In-Chief of El Sayha newspaper, Ahmed Yousif El Altai and Editor Yousif El Jalal, and subjugated them to interrogation, threatening to close the newspaper. This was because El Sayha published two articles about exchanging intelligence information with a network of Arab States in the city of Port Sudan. The investigators deemed the articles to have “undermined national security”. File photo: Journalists and Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) members marching to the National Council for Press and Publications in Khartoum, in protest against the attack against Osman Mirghani on 20 July 2014. (Radio Dabanga correspondent) Related: Sudan’s journalists repeat demands for press freedom (16 October 2014)Sudan security gags El Jareeda daily newspaper (25 September 2014)Sudanese authorities seize El Jareeda newspaper (9 June 2014)Sudan security renews suspension of El Saiha (7 July 2014)Sudanese journalists protest press curbs (2 June 2014)Sudanese General warns of ‘decisive battle’ with media (28 May 2014)EU call on Sudan to lift press curbs (28 May 2014)