Sudanese security service seizes two newspapers
August 14, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) confiscated copies of two newspapers on Thursday without giving any reasons for the censorship.
Journalists told Sudan Tribune that security agents waited at the printing house until Al-Tayyar and Al-Khartoum issues were printed and then ordered the confiscation.
Such measure is seen as a penalty aimed to prevent the sale of printed copies and impose financial loss.
Journalists from the two newspapers said they ignore the reason of the measure. However they believe that the confiscation intends to retroactively punish a newspaper for daring to publish a news item the security apparatus disapproves.
A journalist from Al-Tayyar told Sudan Tribune that the two newspapers, targeted by the measure, had published on Wednesday a news article saying that NISS agents transferred the leader of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party from Al-Nihud to Al-Foula prison in West Kordofan state.
Sudanese transitional constitution of 2005 guarantees freedom of expression, but the national security forces act of 2010, can be used to curtail press freedom.
On 21 July, Al-Tayyar editor-in-chief Osman Mirghani had been beaten by masked armed men who also confiscated the laptops and cellular phones of the journalists.
Many reports linked the assault to statements made by Mirghani on the normalisation of relations with Israel.
At the time, police officials said the investigation was progressing and pledged to arrest the perpetrators of the attack but still nothing was announced.
(ST)