As journalists are jailed and fined for reporting on the rape of a human rights campaigner, Abdelgadir Mohammed Abdelgadir reports on press freedom in Sudan
Abuzar Ali Al-Amin, the deputy editor of Sudanese opposition daily, Raj Al-Shaab, is facing the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty. Two weeks ago, Al-Amin had the release date for his five-year jail sentence for “publishing incorrect information” and “attacking the state” brought forward to 3 July of this year. A new charge, brought by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), accuses Al-Amin of causing deliberate injury to an agent when he was arrested in May 2010. This year has already seen the arrest of more than 30 journalists in Sudan and a popular newspaper has been prevented from printing five times.
Sudanese media faces heavy government intervention: this year has already seen the arrest of more than 30 journalists and a popular newspaper prevented from printing five times, reports Abdelgadir Mohamed Abdelgadir
At least three protestors were shot dead and many more wounded during protests in the port city of Banias on Sunday (10 April). Human rights groups named Nizar Higazy, Muhammad al-Daygeh and Ayman Soliman as those who were killed. Anti-government protests erupted in Syria three weeks ago with demonstrators demanding sweeping political reforms from President Bashar al-Assad and his government.