Sudan Continues Sieging Press Freedom, Confiscates "Al Jarida" Newspap

Sudan Continues Sieging Press Freedom, Confiscates "Al Jarida" Newspaper and Suspends "Zuhair Al-Sarraj" From Writting
25 August 2013


Cairo On — The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), deprecates the Sudanese authorities as they still confiscate the newspapers and ban the journalists from writing in their papers; aiming to gag them due to their opposing stance against Omar Al-Bashir's government.

The security bodies, on Thursday 22 August, confiscated the issue of "Al Jarida" newspaper after it has been printed and stopped its distribution without mentioning any reasons. The security bodies have orally informed the newspaper's board with decision of suspending the writer Zuhair Al-Sarraj for 10 days without giving any reasons; claiming that his writings are not constructive. But it seems clear that confiscating the newspaper was because it published an article entitled "Infidel regime", that lashes out the authorities' intervention in all daily matters even sports particularly after investigating with a referee who was covicted with being drunk.

"Al Jarida" newspaper is always opposed by the Sudanese authorities. It was confiscated several times before by the authorities, who also prevented the writer Zuhair Al-Sarraj from writting. He was banned throughout the period from February 2012 to April 2013. Likewise, Al-Sarraj was prevented from writing for a week last month, which is considered as the third time.

"The Sudanese authorities deliberately await the newspapers till printing their issues then they take a decision to stop their distribution; aiming to incur the newspaper large financial losses. This system is always followed by the Sudanese security bodies to encumber the newspapers financial and make them unable to continue", the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said.

ANHRI added that "the Sudanese authorities have issued previously a decision of suspending the tribal control on the newspapers, but didn't abide by it, therefore this necessitates amending the Sudanese legislations in order to secure the press freedoms and to ban the tribal control on newspapers".

ANHRI demands from the Arab and International community as well as all the parts concerned in the press freedoms to immediately take action in order to put pressure on Sudan's government which breaches all the international and regional legislations, and to prevent it from besieging the press and media freedoms anymore.