The banned journals include Al-Intibaha, Al-Khartoum, Al-Jarida and Akhir Lahza
Authorities in Sudan have lifted their ban on four newspapers nearly three weeks after their licences were suspended, the head of the journalists’ union said Friday, apparently over a story about child abuse, reports Yahoo news.
The licences of the Al-Intibaha, Al-Khartoum, Al-Jarida and Akhir Lahza dailies were suspended on May 25 by the National Intelligence and Security Service.”
NISS agents seized their whole print runs for that day, as well as all copies of six other newspapers, apparently in connection with a story about the alleged abuse of young children on school buses.
“After a meeting held yesterday between the union, the press council and the editors, the newspapers were told to resume printing as of Sunday,” Alsadig Alrizagi told AFP by telephone.
No conditions were given for the resumption of printing, said Rizeigi, who is also chief editor of Al-Intibaha.
Journalists in Sudan complain of harassment, and the country regularly ranks near the bottom of world press freedom indexes.
NISS agents frequently seize the entire print runs of newspapers over articles they deem inappropriate but it is rare for so many to be seized at once.
Khartoum: Sudanese authorities lifted suspensions on four newspapers, including the nation’s bestseller, after they apologised for publishing information “harmful to society,” the country’s journalists’ union said.
The security services “accepted the appeals submitted by the Sudanese press council and the journalists’ union to reinstate the papers”, Mohammad Abdelgadir, head of the group’s freedoms committee, said on Friday by text messages.
Al Intibaha newspaper, which has Sudan’s highest circulation, as well as Al Jareeda, Akher Lahza and Al Khartoum were banned in late May after printing news about alleged sexual harassment in Sudanese schools. Sudan is ranked 174 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index.
