The Sudanese Al Jareeda newspaper announced a silent vigil protest on Monday 12 o’clock in front of the premises of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS (in Khartoum to submit a memoranda to NISS Director, the Information Committee of the Parliament, the National Council for Press and Publications and the General Union of Sudanese Journalists because of the repeated confiscation of newspapers by the security authorities since the outbreak of recent demonstrations.

Al Jareeda newspaper confirmed on its official Facebook page the escalation of the protest because of its objection to pre-publication censorship and attempts by the security agents to amend some of the press materials prepared for publication, in addition to the prevention of printing imposed on the newspaper over the past days. The newspaper explained that security agents said they have a condition if the newspaper wants to continue publication that it should remove all news and reports about demonstrations but the newspaper considers such condition a violation of the Charter of Professional Ethics signed in the presence of NISS Director and the Speaker of the Parliament. It added that the Security demanded the newspaper to remove a report prepared by the newspaper about the crisis of fuels and articles by a number of writers such as Al-Fateh Jabra, Mohammed Widaa, Zahir, Ekhlas Nimir and Dr. Ali Baldo. The security also made it a condition for the newspaper to remove the statement of the European Community, all columns of opinion, and news of the demonstrations such as the “uprising of mosques” and the circular of the Khartoum International Center for Human Rights. According to the newspaper’s editorial board, security agents told them that the government is responsible for the safety of the homeland and citizens and not the raising of slogans such as (you will stay, no matter what), which the newspaper sees as a political plot unbecoming of the government.

The pre-publication censorship is a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states in Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”.

Source; Tagpress