The police force which implements decisions by the Empowerment Removal and Anti Corruption Committee arrested Fadlallah. He was charged with “work to undermine the regime” and placed in a detention center in Khartoum.
The arrest of Fadlallah is an extension of the Empowerment Removal and Anti Corruption Committee’s repression of journalistic activity that criticizes the committee’s illegal practices, according to the SJU. The Empowerment Removal and Anti Corruption Committee was originally tasked with deconstructing political and economic powers after the change of regime in Sudan but now interferes with freedom of expression and press freedom.
The clampdown on the media in Sudan has been intensifying, especially after the government introduced new legal provisions to heavily punish critical journalism during the Covid-19 pandemic. Media outlets face closures and journalists are arrested, harassed or have their press accreditations removed.
The Sudanese Journalists Union called on world press freedom and human groups groups to “pressure the Sudanese authorities to end their prosecution of journalists and to immediately and unconditionally release (...) Ishaq Ahmed Fadlallah, and to drop the spurious charges against him and assume responsibility for his safety.”
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “We call for the release of Ishaq Ahmed Fadlallah. A critical stand towards executive, legislative and judicial activities is a basic aspect of journalism and contributes to the functioning of a society. This essential function of journalism is repeatedly undermined in Sudan and we demand the authorities to stop punishing journalists for doing their job.”