Sudan’s constitutional court sues journalists over alleged defamatory statements
November 23, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s constitutional court sentenced two journalists to imprisonment and fines on Monday before suspending the sentence after the defendants apologised to the court.
According to a statement issued by the Sudan’s Journalists’ Association for Human Rights (JAHR), the constitutional court summoned the editor-in-chief of Al-Jareeda daily newspaper, Idris Al-Douma, and journalist, Suad Al-Khidir, on the 7 and 14 November .
Al-Jareeda newspaper had earlier published an interview with a citizen who filed a constitutional challenge to the constitutional court against the recent government decision to remove fuel subsidies and increase prices of several commodities.
The man was quoted in the interview as saying that the constitutional court would be dumped into the “dustbin of history” if didn’t take the side of the people by cancelling the government’s decision.
The court said that the phrase “dustbin of history” offended the constitutional court and summoned both journalists for interrogation twice without giving them the right to hire a lawyer.
The court sentenced the two journalists to imprisonment and fines on charges of offending the constitutional court but the verdict was suspended following an apology by the interviewee who said that he meant to say “historical responsibility” not “dustbin of history”.
Al-Douma said that the incident represents a violation of the freedom of expression, pointing out that the court played the role of the plaintiff, detective, and judge simultaneously without giving the defendants the right to hire an attorney.
JAHR for its part criticised the move of the constitutional court and considered it a violation of the basic requirements of the fair trial, saying that the right for defence is an essential component of a fair trial.
In a related issue, Al-Douma and Abdel-Wahab Al-Sanjak, who is also a journalist at Al-Jareeda will appear on Monday before the press court in the Gezira state capital Wad Medani for charges filed against the newspaper by the commissioner of Um Alqura locality.
In the same context, the intellectual property court has delayed the 27 November trial session of Al-Sudani journalist Khaled Ahmed until 3 December due to the absence of the detective.
Ahmed was arrested last June and later released on bail following a complaint filed against him by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) over a report attributed to him detailing events that occurred during a visit by top military officials to Abu Kershola town in South Kordofan.
Sudanese journalists work under tight daily censorship and controls exercised by National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).
The NISS recently intensified its crackdown on press in the country, introducing tough new measures to prevent media outlets from covering recent anti-government protests, which erupted last September following the lifting of fuel subsidies.
The security service confiscated the 24 and 25 October issues of Al-Taghyeer newspaper and suspended its 26 October issue. It also confiscated the 30 October issue of Elaph, a weekly business newspaper.
NISS also arrested journalist Mohamed Ali Mohamado who has worked for Al-Akhbar newspaper since 28 September.
Among the journalists and writers who are currently on trial are novelist Rania Mamoun and journalist Buhram Abdel-Moneimr who works for Al-Youm Al-Tali newspaper.
(ST)