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 Confiscation of issues of English-language daily
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SOAT
Sudan Organisation Against Torture
SOAT Press Release: 11 March, 2002
Confiscation of issues of English-language daily
On Sunday March 9, security forces confiscated 3500 copies of the English-language daily newspaper, Khartoum Monitor (issue no. 59, vol. 4, due for release on 9 March 2003).
The copies were taken from the printing works after printing was completed but before the papers could be distributed. No reason was initially given for the action. However, the following morning the editors of the newspaper were told that the reason behind the confiscation was an article written by the journalist Edward Lado Terso entitled “History speaks to Abdalla Ali”. The article was written as part of a debate with a reader called Abdalla Ali from the Humanitarian Aid Commission, a governmental agency. The debate in question was on the subject of the history of Islam in Sudan.
Later in the same day, 9 March, the security forces ordered the managing editor of the Khartoum Monitor, Nhial Bol, and the journalist Edward Lado Terso to report to the security forces offices for interrogation at 1pm that day. Nhial Bol went to the offices alone because he failed to contact Edward Lado, and met an officer called Imad, who asked him to return with Edward Lado yesterday, 10 March.
The confiscation of copies of papers prior to distribution causes considerable financial losses for the newspapers involved, and has been seen as likely to lead to increasing ‘self-censorship’ as newspapers fear seizure of copies and closure of printing works. The Khartoum Monitor has been targetted numerous times over the past year, with copies of the newspaper being seized and its journalists harassed and fined.
SOAT condemns the continuing restrictions on freedom of _expression in Sudan and urges the Government to :
Compensate the Khartoum Monitor for loss of revenue caused by the arbitrary seizure of issues
End restrictions on freedom of the press, and allow full and open reporting of, and comment upon the current peace negotiations
Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights laws and standards.
The above recommendations should be sent in appeals to the following:
His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir
President of the Republic of Sudan
President's Palace
PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 24911 783223
Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin
Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Ministry of Justice
Khartoum, Sudan
Telegrams: Justice Minister, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: +24911 788941
Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan
Telegrams: Foreign Minister, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: +24911 779383
Dr Yasir Sid Ahmed
Advisory Council for Human Rights
PO Box 302
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 24911 779173
His Excellency Ambassador Mr Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim
Permanent Mission of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva
PO Box 335
1211 Geneva
Switzerland
Fax: +4122 7312656
E-mail: [email protected]
His Excellency Ambassador Mr Hassan Abdein
Cleveland Row
St James’s
London SW1A 1DD
Fax: +44 20 78397560
SOAT is international human rights organisation established in the UK in 1993. If you have any questions about this or any other SOAT information, please contact us:
SOAT
The Park Business Centre
Kilburn Park Road
London NW6 5LF
Tel: 020 7625 8055
Fax: 020 7372 2656
E-mail:[email protected]
Website: www.soatsudan.org
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abdel abayazid
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست