Sudanese anti-corruption journalist gets death threat

Sudanese investigative journalist Abdelrahman Jabur says he has received a threat of death and torture if he continues to investigate cases of corruption in Sudan.

Jabur, who writes for El Akhbar newspaper, says that he the received a threatening call from an anonymous person via a landline. The caller threatened the journalis that he would be tortured and killed if he does not stop attempts to probe corruption cases. He says after the threat, the caller hung-up.

This threat follows a blog post on Facebook in which Jabr indicated that he possesses a number of files of evidence related to corruption cases.

Jabur has been investigating corruption related to banks, individuals and institutions in Sudan. He has also highlighted the alleged corruption of the Islamist cleric Abdelhay Yousef, who is Imam of El Mursalin Mosque in Jabra. A warrant for the arrest of Yousef has been issued by the prosecutor of Sudan’s Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism-Financing Department, on charges of dealing with terrorism under Article 35 of the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act.

Radio Dabanga reported in late December 2019 that an arrest warrant was issued for Yousef, based on a complaint against him filed by Sudan’s Minister of Youth and Sports concerning defamation of character and abuse.

The Imam attacked El Boushi after the opening of the first women’s football league, accusing her of infidelity as she is a member of the Republican Party that was set up by the Sudanese Muslim thinker Mahmoud Mohamed Taha, who was executed in January 1985 by the regime of Jaafar Nimeiri.

A second arrest warrant was issued against the islamist, concerning “ownership of illegal wealth”, as he allegedly received an amount of $5 million from the ousted president Omar Al Bashir for the support of the Teiba satellite channel. Jabr has been investigating corruption the El Andalus Media Production Foundation from which Teiba channel and 10 other channels are broadcast.

Yousef reportedly left Sudan to participate in a conference and has not returned to the country.

Jabur has also been investigating the cases against Ali Al Bashir and Mohamed Al Bashir, both brothers of the deposed dictator. Warrants for their arrest have been issued by the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism-Financing Department for charges related to the unlawful acquisition of land in Kafouri Square 9, and lands in Ed Damazin, capital of Blue Nile state.