Sudanese security seizes three dailies over “breaches”

February 20, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) apparatus confiscated the Thursday edition of three newspapers that included al-Ahram al-Youm, al-Watan and Akhir-Lahza dailies.

But a source in the NISS media department told Sudan Tribune that they did not seize those newspapers but disrupted their distribution swiftly after they were published.

The source accused these newspapers of committing “numerous breaches” including their coverage of recent developments regarding the dispute with Egypt over the border Halayeb region describing it as a national sovereign issue.

“Halayeb is a red line,” the source said.

The source also noted their coverage of issues that are still pending such as the Cottons Company adding that these measures will continue as long as newspapers continue to violate the journalistic code of ethics and NISS instructions.

He asserted that editors in chiefs have previously been warned about avoiding certain topics.

Al-Jareeda newspaper resumed publication a week ago after being suspended by NISS since January 26th.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Sudan Mashood Baderin said at a press conference on Wednesday , he met with NISS officials to convey to them complaints of restrictions on the press.

Baderin said that NISS officials told him that all measures taken by them against the press are done through legal procedures”.

(ST)