Sudan: Al-Tayar’s editor-in-chief handed six-month jail sentence

By on October 24, 2017

Osman Mirgani, current editor-in-chief of Al-Tayar daily is waiting for police to haul him in jail for six-month after the judiciary Monday sanctioned the daily for publishing an article accusing President Omar Bechir’s family of corruption.
Mirgani said he was given the choice to pay 10, 000 SDG ($1,499) for fine or spend six months in jail for an article public in the daily in 2012. He told AFP that he preferred the jail to the fine.
The author of article, Mohamed Zine El Abidine has been handed a conditional three-year prison sentence.
Authorities launched an investigation and sued the newspaper which is one of the country’s leading independent media.
The media in 2015 was suspended for publishing critical articles on Khartoum’s decision to scrap gas and power subsidies. The Supreme Court ruled in 2016 ruled in favor of the daily.
Country’s powerful intelligence service, NISS in 2014 assaulted the media’s office and bit Mirgani, reports say.
Reporters Without Borders in 2016 classified Sudan as the 174th country out 180 on the press freedom index.
For its 2017 rankings, the charity further decreases Sudan’s Credit, classifying the North African country among countries such Egypt, Bahrain and Syrian where press freedom is seriously in danger.

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