December 27, 2012 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has confiscated Thursday edition of a new independent newspaper called Al-Qrar and banned its distribution, in a new move against the vulnerable press in the country.

The security agents did not explain the reason of this decision but journalists point to a report the daily published on Wednesday about the government decision to freeze all the funds and assets of the NISS former director Salah Gosh who is accused of organising a military coup to topple the regime.

"Some security agents arrived at the printing house and informed the staff that there is a decision to confiscate today’s edition without providing any reasons and there was no comments from Sudanese authorities until Thursday afternoon," said Al-Qrar editor-in chief Abdel Rahman Al-Amin.

Al-Qrar is a new newspaper launched on 16 October by a group of Sudanese journalists who contributed financially to establish it as they lost their jobs following the closure of several newspapers in Khartoum for financial or political reasons.

Sudanese journalists say that NISS impose such "economic penalty" against newspapers that publish news the authorities believe against their interests.

besides the ban after the printing, security services also direct public companies to not publish its advertisements on dailys seen "undocile" in order to deprive them from such financial sources.

The security service practiced a pre-censorship in the past, but they introduced this economic castigation to cost the newspapers hug revenue loses they cannot afford for long time.

The freedom of the press in Sudan has worsening and many activists and human rights defenders claim that the freedom of expression is declining and more restrictions have been imposed on the press over the recent months.

According to recent reports, 10 copies of different newspapers were confiscated during the period of March to May and 14 journalists have been banned from writing.

(ST)