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📍 El Fasher, North Darfur — July 9, 2025
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Sudanese authorities to immediately release freelance journalists Nasr Yaqoub and Mohamed Ahmed Nazar, who were detained on July 7 by the Sudan Liberation Movement–Transitional Council (SLM–TC), an armed group affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
🛑 Incident and Arrest Context The arrests followed a confrontation on July 5, when an SLM–TC officer allegedly fired at Yaqoub’s internet shop in El Fasher after he refused to surrender a Starlink device, which is vital for internet access in the region. Yaqoub was accused of using provocative language, while Nazar was detained for a Facebook post criticizing the attack.
SLM–TC officials claim the crackdown is part of a broader effort to prevent military coordinates from being leaked to the opposing Rapid Support Forces (RSF). However, CPJ and local observers view the detentions as part of a growing campaign to suppress independent reporting and restrict civilian access to information.
📢 International Response CPJ’s regional director Sara Qudah condemned the arrests as “a clear attack on the public’s right to know what is happening in Darfur,” and demanded accountability for the officer who fired at Yaqoub. The organization emphasized that such actions violate Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects freedom of expression.
📡 Starlink and Press Freedom With Sudan’s communications infrastructure severely damaged by ongoing conflict, journalists rely on Starlink devices to report from the ground. Their work is critical for documenting human rights violations and maintaining transparency amid mass displacement and civilian casualties.
Since the outbreak of war between SAF and RSF in April 2023, CPJ has documented the deaths of at least 14 journalists and media workers across Sudan.
For further details, see Jurist and CPJ’s official alert.
Excerpts from jurist.com article by Matteo Piccioli | Maastricht U. Faculty of Law, NL
