Communist newspaper, editor-in-chief fined in Sudan

On Thursday, the Media and Press Court in Khartoum announced its ruling in a two-year old case of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) against the El Midan newspaper and its former editor-in-chief.
The judge sentenced the management of El Midan, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of Sudan, and Madeeha Abdallah, the newspaper’s former editor-in-chief to a fine of SDG 10,000 ($1,500) for publishing an interview with a rebel leader on 28 December 2014.

On Thursday, the Media and Press Court in Khartoum announced its ruling in a two-year old case of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) against the El Midan newspaper and its former editor-in-chief.

The judge sentenced the management of El Midan, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of Sudan, and Madeeha Abdallah, the newspaper’s former editor-in-chief to a fine of SDG 10,000 ($1,500) for publishing an interview with a rebel leader on 28 December 2014.

On 14 January 2015, Abdallah was summoned by the state security prosecution because of the interview. She was charged with ‘undermining the constitutional order’, an offence that carries the death penalty or life imprisonment. She was released on bail the same day.

Agents of Sudan’s security apparatus confiscated nine print-runs of El Midan in January that year.

The management of El Midan and Abdallah were given one week to pay the fine. The newspapers defence team will file an appeal against the verdict.