The annual report of the Sudanese Press Freedoms Organization 2017 and the biannual report of 2018 released yesterday revealed that 111 journalists were killed in 20 countries, 407 others were arrested, prosecuted and detained in 24 countries and 112 journalists were injured in 8 Arab and African countries. The organization condemned all forms of restrictions on journalists and newspapers in the world and Sudan, and called on competent authorities to abide by the law with regard to press publication and complaints.

The president of the organization, Dr. Al Najib Adam Gamar Al Din, in a press conference yesterday, stressed the importance of implementing Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and that all States should observe its application, besides drafting of laws that protect journalists from violations, and assist to build press institutions and create a conducive working environment. He stressed the importance of abiding by the law, with regard to local press publication, and assist newspapers to obtain information, and protecting journalists from being rendered jobless and ensuring job stability.

In the same context, the President of the Sudanese Transparency Organization Dr. Al Tayeb Mukhtar called for the need to take measures to prevent the suspension of newspapers except by a judicial order, as well as to expand the support for the press as public institutions, not to limit the distribution of government and private advertisements to specific newspapers, assist weak newspapers facing financial constraints and activate the law of right to information.

Mukhtar described the prohibition of journalists from entering the parliament premises as unacceptable act. He said,: “The move is unbecoming of institutions that are not supposed to create obstacles in the way to effect reform in general, freedom of expression and press in particular,” and called on parliament to dissolve itself if it is unable to provide support for legislative and executive reform,”.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in article 19 provides: “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: Alrakoba