A statement released by the Arab Network for Crisis Information said freedom of press; opinion and expression in Sudan come under fierce and unprecedented attack of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS (. The attack further escalated late December with the eruption of a wave of protests in the capital Khartoum and other cities demanding President Al Bashir to step down. Due to the protests, NISS had taken more stringent measures against the press and journalists restricting journalistic publication by resuming pre-publication censorship (newspaper screening by security agents before it goes to press (.Confiscation of newspapers after printing, detention and summoning male and female journalists and correspondents of TV Channels were also resumed with a view to terrorize, intimidate and harass them to prevent them from reaching scenes of protests.

The statement condemned the arbitrary measures that contravene the Bill of civil and political rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the constitution of Sudan. The measures constitute a reneging by the Sudanese government on its obligations towards international conventions and agreements it has signed and ratified. They also represent a violation of the constitution of Sudan and a flout of the Charter of Professional Ethics it signed with newspapers’ chief editors last November.

According to the statement, the Arab Network has been followed up the violations against the press during the days of protests in Sudan and called on the international and regional organizations operating in the field of human rights and freedom of press to shed light on the violations of freedom of opinion and expression in Sudan, to exercise pressure on the regime to respect its obligations towards charters and conventions it has signed, to stop NISS attacks and violations and to allow the press to freely function.

Source: Alttahrer , Alrakoba