Sudanese security seizes AKhir Lahza newspaper for the second day
July 29, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Friday has confiscated copies of Akhir Lahza daily newspapers for the second day in a row from the printing house without stating any reasons.
Journalists working for Akhir Lahza said the NISS agents came to the printing house and confiscated 14,000 print runs of the newspaper without giving reason, pointing that on Thursday 2,500 copies were seized in a similar move.
Ali al-Dali, a journalist at Akhir Lahaza told Sudan Tribune that they weren’t able to speculate about a particular news report or article that has likely led to the seizure of the newspaper.
Akhir Lahza is owned by member of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and former governor of South Darfur state Al-Hag Atta al-Manan.
NISS usually accuses the newspapers of crossing the red lines through publishing reports which adversely impact the national security.
It routinely confiscates newspapers either to prevent circulation of certain stories or to punish them retroactively on previous issues.
Sudanese journalists work under tight daily censorship controls exercised by the NISS.
They say that NISS uses seizures of print copies of newspapers, not only to censor the media but also to weaken them economically.
(ST)