Sudan frees editor held for criticising emergency rule

President Omar al-Bashir  

By AFP

Sudanese security agents on Friday released a prominent editor who had been detained for weeks for criticising a state of emergency imposed by President Omar al-Bashir, his son told AFP.

Osman Mirghani, editor-in-chief of independent daily Al-Tayar, was taken away by security agents from his office on the night of February 22 after making televised comments on Bashir's decision to
impose emergency rule nationwide.

Bashir announced the measure after an initial crackdown failed to quell widespread protests against his administration that erupted in December.

"My father has been released and he's in good health. We are now on our way home," his son Jihad Mirghani told AFP.

Mirghani was arrested after an interview with Sky News Arabia in which he said Bashir's measures would "spark a new wave" of protests and send a message that the public "can exert more pressure to achieve its goal of removing this regime".

The US-educated engineer turned journalist has often been targeted by security agents, who have detained him several times, confiscated copies of his newspaper or barred its publication without giving any reason.

Mirghani's release follows a demonstration by journalists Monday in the capital Khartoum, where they expressed solidarity with the editor and called for greater freedom of expression.

Sudan's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) regularly seizes entire print runs of newspapers over articles it deems inappropriate, especially those criticising the authorities or government policies.

Sudan is ranked 174th out of 180 countries in media watchdog Reporters Without Borders 2018 World Press Freedom Index.

Death in custody

Protests first erupted on December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread, and quickly escalated into a widespread campaign calling for Bashir to resign.

Officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence, while Human Rights Watch says at least 51 people have been killed.

Bashir, who swept to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, has remained defiant in the face of unrest.

He has announced a slew of tough measures along with the state of emergency to quell the protests, including banning unauthorised rallies and setting up special courts to investigate violations of the new rules.

Protesters continue to stage rallies, although their scale and intensity has shrunk since the state of emergency was imposed.