Sudanese security prevents distribution of al-Ray al-Aam newspaper

October 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Thursday has prevented the distribution of al-Ray al-Aam newspaper, saying it published a report that adversely affects Sudanese-Libyan relations.

Reliable sources told Sudan Tribune that NISS officers at dawn on Thursday ordered the printing press officials to stop distribution of the newspaper’s copies after it was printed, saying they allowed the newspaper’s administration to receive the printed copies after 12pm (local time), but the they refused.

According to several identical sources, NISS expressed reservation on a report published by the newspaper on Wednesday, pointing that it harms Sudanese-Libyan ties.

Sudanese journalists and newspapers work under tight daily censorship controls exercised by the NISS. Even newspapers seen as favourable to the regime like al-Saiha and al-Ray al-Aam are now affected by these measures.

Journalists say that confiscation and suspension of newspapers is a commonly used practice by the local authorities to overburden the newspapers with financial losses alongside other non-financial pressures.

NISS also imposed strict preprint censorship on al-Saiha newspaper, which it allowed to resume following a two-month suspension for publishing several stories on corruption cases within government institutions.

Sudan’s Journalists’ Association for Human Rights (JAHR) issued a statement denouncing confiscation of al-Saiha and al-Ray al-Aam and other pro-government newspapers, saying they suffer from the same problems faced by independent newspapers since this regime came to power.

JAHR underscored its principled standing towards freedom of press saying it condemns violations against all newspapers, including those that support the regime.

On Wednesday, NISS released the correspondent of the London-based al-Hayat newspaper in Khartoum and a columnist at Al-Taqyeer newspaper, al-Nour Ahmed al-Nour, after he was detained for allegedly publishing a false report on the merging of electricity companies.

Sudan’s constitution guarantees freedom of expression but laws subordinate to the constitution such as the National Security Forces Act of 2010 contains articles that can be potentially used to curtail press freedom and instigate legal proceedings against newspapers and individual journalists.

The Sudanese government vowed to ensure press freedom as part of confidence-building measures ahead of national dialogue.

(ST)