Security forces raided the Khartoum headquarters of "al-Tayar" newspaper on 19 February and seized the paper's entire print run.
(ANHRI/IFEX) – Cairo, 21 February 2012 – ANHRI condemns the Sudanese government for its unexplained confiscation of the 20 February issue of al-Tayar daily independent newspaper.
Sudanese security forces raided the headquarters of the newspaper in the capital of Khartoum on 19 February and seized the paper’s entire print run, failing to provide any reasons as usual. However, it is believed that this repressive measure was intended to penalize the newspaper for its campaign against official corruption, or its publication of opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi’s remarks criticizing the al-Bashir regime.
The repressive campaign of the Sudanese government on press freedom has intensified since the secession of South Sudan in July 2011. It has shut down two newspapers since the beginning of the year (Alwan and Ra’y al-Sha’b), and confiscated issues of al-Jarida newspaper last January.
“The Sudanese regime still uses the traditional repressive measures of confiscation, blocking, and censorship. It does not comprehend the progress the whole region is going through. It is still deluding itself that it can gag people by confiscating or shutting down a newspaper,” said ANHRI.
“Conditions for freedom of opinion and expression in the country are seriously deteriorating, especially since the secession of the South in July 2011. Journalists work under constant pressure by the authorities, preventing them from tackling certain issues, particularly those critical of the regime, whether in terms of politics or financial corruption,” added ANHRI.
ANHRI calls on the organizations concerned with the defense of press and media freedoms, and freedom of expression in general, to continue to pressure the Sudanese authorities in order to guarantee the right to freedom of opinion and expression as an inherent human right.
