Sudanese Journalists Union Condemns Closure of Al Arabiya, Al Hadath, and Sky News Channels

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The Sudanese Journalists Union condemned the closure of Al Arabiya, Al Hadath, and Sky News channels on Tuesday, rejecting the justifications cited for the decision and stating that it constitutes a clear violation of freedom of expression, press freedom, and the sanctity of journalistic and media institutions.

Al Arabiya quoted the Sudan bureau chief as saying that she had not been officially notified of the decision to suspend the channels operations in the country, nor was she aware of the timing of the Minister of Informations decision. She also noted that the Sudan offices of Al Arabiya and Al Hadath regularly renew their licenses.

In a statement today, the Sudanese Journalists Union stated that the decision is retaliatory and unjust towards journalists, correspondents, and employees of the mentioned channels in Sudan. It represents a continuation of the campaigns of harassment, siege, terrorism, and intimidation imposed on journalists, who have been working under extremely challenging conditions since the outbreak of the war in Sudan on April 15th of last year.

The union called on the Sudanese authorities to respect freedom of the press and media and to halt the blatant violations of national laws and international treaties against journalists. It urged regional and international human rights and journalistic institutions to condemn deliberate targeting of journalists and to pressure for providing all forms of support and advocacy for them, as stipulated in international treaties.