Khartoum — Dozens of Sudanese journalists on Monday protested in downtown Khartoum demanding the release of a prominent editor detained for criticising a state of emergency imposed by President Omar al-Bashir, witnesses said.
The protest was organised by the Sudanese Journalists Network, a group belonging to the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) that is spearheading the protest campaign against Bashir's iron-fisted rule.
Sudan's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) regularly seizes entire print runs of newspapers over articles it deems inappropriate, especially those criticising the authorities or government policies.
Sudan is ranked 174th out of 180 countries in the 2018 world press freedom index, compiled by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.
But they swiftly escalated into nationwide demonstrations against Bashir's three-decade rule, with protesters calling on him to step down.
Protesters accuse his adminstration of mismanaging the country's economy that has led to soaring food prices and a shortage of fuel and foreign currency.