Sudanese security seizes Al-Saiha newspaper for the second time this week
August 3, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Wednesday has confiscated copies of Al-Saiha daily newspaper for the second time within a week from the printing house without giving any reasons.
He pointed that the newspaper hasn’t recently published any reports that cross what the NISS consider as red line, saying the NISS agents came to the printing house and seized 13,000 print runs without stating reasons.
Al-Nour added that their financial loss is estimated at 30,000 pounds (SDG) (about $5000).
“This is the second time they seize the newspaper within one week and don’t know what are the reasons … our newspaper has incurred huge financial loss” he said.
“I’m not sure if they are trying to put pressures on the newspaper but we follow an objective editorial policy and carry out our work professionally without violating the law or crossing the red lines,” he added.
Last week, Al-Taghyeer newspaper decided to suspend publishing and started to lay off its staff following the large financial loss it incurred due to repeated confiscations.
Journalists working for Al-Saiha have expressed fear that their newspaper would follow suit.
Al-Saiha is owned by the chairman of the Just Peace Forum (JPF) party and president Omer Hassan al-Bashir’s maternal uncle Al-Tayeb Mustafa.
The NISS routinely confiscates newspapers either to prevent circulation of certain stories or to punish them retroactively on previous issues.
It uses seizures of print copies of newspapers, not only to censor the media but also to weaken them economically.
(ST)