15 November 2017•Update: 15 November 2017
By Mohammed Amin
KHARTOUM
A Sudanese journalist was arrested during demonstrations that erupted on Wednesday against a proposed press law now being discussed by the government.
Shamail Alnur, a journalist for Sudan’s Altayar newspaper, was arrested by security personnel as she took part in the demonstration, which was held outside the headquarters of Sudan’s Press and Publication Council in Khartoum.
Dozens of journalists participated in Wednesday’s rally, raising banners and chanting slogans demanding freedom of expression.
Sudan’s council of ministers is currently debating the draft legislation, which -- if passed -- would drastically amend Sudan’s 2009 press law.
The proposed legislation would impose fresh restrictions on Sudanese journalists, especially in terms of online and social media.
For one, the draft law would allow Sudan’s security apparatus to suspend newspapers’ operations for up to 15 days.
It would also give the security apparatus the right to ban certain journalists from writing and publishing articles.
Furthermore, the draft law grants the president the right to appoint the chairman of the Press and Publication Council.
The Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN), an NGO, has demanded Alnur’s immediate release, accusing the authorities of “intimidating” protesters.
SJN Chairman Khalid Fathi told Anadolu Agency that protesters would continue to demonstrate until the proposed legislation was dropped.
Describing the proposed legislation as an “anti-journalism law", Fathi declared: “We won’t give up; we will continue fighting this oppressive legislation.”
Sudan was among the 10 lowest-ranked countries in a 2017 press freedom index compiled by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RWB).
