IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - SUDAN

5 September 2003

Newspaper suspended for "inciting sedition"

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has called on the Sudanese government to allow the daily
newspaper "Alwan to resume publishing immediately. The paper was suspended
on 2 September 2003 after state security officials accused it of "inciting
sedition."

"This is the third time this year the newspaper has been censored," said RSF
Secretary-General Robert Ménard in a letter to Justice Minister Ali Mohammed
Osman Yassin calling for the ban to be lifted.

The measure contradicts the 12 August presidential decree guaranteeing press
freedom, ending censorship by the National Security Agency and transferring
supervision of the press to the National Press Council. Before the decree
was issued, President Omar al-Bashir had promised that everyone would be
able to speak freely in the press and even on state-controlled television.

"The suspension of 'Alwan' seems to put an end to this attempt at press
liberalisation and also appears to indicate the existence of a conflict
between the president and the National Security Agency," Ménard said.

Mohammed Farid Hassan, the prosecutor who handles subversion cases, ordered
the newspaper's suspension under Articles 66 and 69 of the criminal code and
Article 25 of the press law, pending consideration of a complaint by the
National Security Agency that "Alwan" had published articles inciting people
to sedition and likely to disturb public order. Agency officials had
objected when President Bashir suggested they would no longer intervene in
press affairs.

For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue Geoffroy
Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.org

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
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