Sudanese journalists condemn press curbs

The Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) strongly condemns the continued monitoring of journalists by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

In a press statement today, the SJN reported that the NISS’ media department in Khartoum II summoned journalist Mujahed Abdallah to appear on Monday.

Abdallah is making a documentary series about the effects of the construction of dams for the Nubians in northern Sudan.

He had to return the next day and wait from 7 am until 4 pm for questioning. The security officers threatened to prevent him from working in any media organisation in the country if he continued with the series.

The SJN condemns the semi-detention and the threats “in the strongest terms”, and fiercely rejects the “disgraceful behaviour” of the NISS and its suppression of the freedom of expression in the country.

El Tayar daily

The Network in its statement further demands the return of El Tayar daily newspaper “immediately and unconditionally” after Constitutional Court previously ruled that the NISS does not have any authority to ban newspapers.

El Tayar was suspended for an indefinite period of time on 15 December last year. A week later, El Tayar editor-in-chief Osman Mirghani and El Sayha editor-in-chief Ahmed Yousef El Tai were detained by NISS agents. They were questioned for hours about articles that “would incite against the government and undermine the constitutional order”. Both released by the state security prosecutor on personal bail.