Sudan overturns suspension of independent newspaper

KHARTOUM, Nov 22 (AFP) — Sudan’s chief public prosecutor Emad Eddin Mahjub Mohamad overturned Saturday a six-day suspension of the country’s independent Al-Ayam newspaper.

“The Sudanese judicial authorities announce that the suspension of the Al-Ayam newspaper has been annulled because it was unauthorised,” Mohamad said in his ruling, given to the newspapers’ lawyers and a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

The suspension was “cancelled after examining the appeal lodged against the decision taken by the public prosecutor responsible for anti-state crimes,” the ruling added.

Mohamad said only the chief prosecutor could decide whether an article merited the closure of a newspaper.

Sudanese authorities suspended publication of the Arabic-language daily on Monday while they investigated charges it threatened national security.

The Sudan Media Centre (SMC), which is close to the government, said in a report published by the independent Al-Rai Al-Aam daily that the prosecutor for anti-state crimes Sunday issued a decision suspending Al-Ayam from Monday until an investigation was completed.

On Wednesday, Sudan’s US embassy criticised the Al-Ayam’s suspension as disappointing and urged Khartoum to lift security censorship on newspapers.

In mid-October, Sudanese authorities allowed the English-language Khartoum Monitor to re-open after a three-month closure.