Press Freedom in Sudan

Phil Cox, a British film producer, was kidnapped in Darfur just before Christmas 2016 and transferred to the Sudanese regime's prison to be tortured over a number of weeks.

Cox's experience, although traumatic for everyone involved, helped shine a light on the hundreds of journalists who are regularly and routinely detained and tortured without charge.

Dissent is not allowed in Sudan and any newspaper that is seen to be even slightly critical or the regime faces punitive fines, closed print-runs and even arbitrary punishments for the management and editing staff.

The Sudanese regime sees journalists as an enemy and directs all its weapons at them - Alawia, Sudan

This year, Sudan ranked 174 in the World Press Freedom Index. 

Harassment of the media intensified at the start of 2018. Eighteen journalists, including the correspondents of foreign media, were arrested in January while covering opposition protests, Reporters Without Borders said.

An independent radio station was shut down and two journalists were banned from practicing their profession for a year.

Led by Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, Sudan’s regime is exceptionally hostile to press freedom and often resorts to harassment, censorship, seizures, closures, and internet cuts. 

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