Sudan’s security service confiscates newspaper edition

October 18, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Tuesday has confiscated copies of Al-Jareeda daily newspaper from the printing house without stating any reasons.

The decision is the first of its kind since the adoption of the national dialogue conference resolutions which ensure press freedom, among other.

Al-Jareeda is the most censored and confiscated newspaper by the security services. Last May, the its copies had been confiscated for four successive days. Also, in July the newspaper experience a similar situation, as it was suspended for three days.

The security agents didn’t explain what triggered the censorship. However, the Journalists’ Association for Human Rights (JAHR) said that one of Al-Jareeda journalists, Hanadi al-Sideeq, had been interrogated by the press prosecution office.

According to the local press watchdog, the interrogation comes after two complained filed by the prosecutor in the case of a student accused of killing a policeman during last April protests. The journalist accused the prosecution of dictating false testimony to a witness.

The second complaint was lodged by a local official of the ruling National Congress Party in Aljeriaf suburb, Khartoum after the publication of a report accusing him of land grabbing in the town.

Sudanese journalists say that NISS uses seizures of print copies of newspapers, not only to censor the media but also to weaken them economically.

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.

(ST)