(WAN/IFEX) – In a 7 September 1999 letter to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, WAN expressed its concern over the suspension of three daily newspapers. WAN had written to the president on a similar matter on 29 July. **Updates IFEX alerts of 1 September 1999; for background on previous suspensions see IFEX alerts of 19 August, […]
(WAN/IFEX) – In a 7 September 1999 letter to President Omar Hassan
al-Bashir, WAN expressed its concern over the suspension of three daily
newspapers. WAN had written to the president on a similar matter on 29 July.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 1 September 1999; for background on previous
suspensions see IFEX alerts of 19 August, 11 August, 28 July and 6 July
1999**
According to reports, the Press and Publications Council ordered the
independent dailies “Al-Rai Al-Akher” and “Al-Rai Al-A’am” to be suspended
for seven and two days respectively, and the government-owned daily
“Al-Anba’a” suspended for one day. These actions take the number of
newspaper suspensions this year to nine.
The Press and Publications Council stated that the reasons for its action
were that “Al-Anba’a” had reported inaccurate and harmful economic
information, “Al-Rai Al-A’am” had alleged there was a widespread drug trade
in Sudan’s universities, and “Al-Rai Al-Akher” had commented on a government
corruption case and claimed that a tiny elite owned most of the country’s
wealth.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
these matters fall within the proper role of a free press
Al-A’am” and “Al-Anba’a” are clear breaches of the right to free expression
as guaranteed by numerous international conventions, including the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Sudan is a
party
to
circulate freely
Publications Council’s powers of censorship are removed
Appeals To
His Excellency General Omar Hassan al-Bashir
President of the Republic
People’s Palace
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: +24 91 171 724
Please copy appeals to WAN.
