December 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Friday has seized print runs of the independent daily Al-Jareeda for the sixth time within twelve days from the printing house without giving reasons.

Journalists working for Al-Jareeda told Sudan Tribune that the NISS seeks to put pressure on the newspaper to mitigate the harsh criticism of the government contained in the Op-ed articles and in particular by columnists Osman Shabona and Mohamed Wida’aa.

NISS has recently intensified crackdown on newspapers for publishing news reports and articles on the nationwide civil disobedience act which took place between 27 and 29 November. During the last couple of weeks, it seized copies of various dailies 22 times.

Al-Jareeda has been one of the most newspapers in Sudan subject to suspension and confiscation. Last May, the NISS had confiscated copies of the newspaper four times during five days.

The NISS routinely confiscates newspapers either to prevent circulation of certain stories or to punish them retroactively on previous issues.

It uses seizures of print copies of newspapers, not only to censor the media but also to weaken them economically.

The state-run Sudanese National Council for Press and Publications (NCPP) rarely interferes to stop the security punishments although it is the official body responsible for running the work of newspapers in the Sudan.

(ST)