As anti-government protests grow in demand of economic and political freedom in Sudan, the country’s president, Omar Al-Bashir’s continues to arrest journalists and demonstrators, with the The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) detaining 28 journalists for several hours on Monday ahead of a sit-in.

According to the Sudan Tribune, an official source claimed that all gatherings, including protests and sit-ins, must have the government’s permission. Otherwise, all participants will be detained.

Most of the detained journalists work for Al-Jareeda, a popular newspaper that has been critical of the government and circulates information on upcoming protests.

Before the 28 journalists were arrested, Al-Jareeda published that it is organizing a march to the NISS headquarters in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. The publication accuses the government of cutting off its circulation due to its public support of the political protests.

Among the 28 detained journalists was the Chief-Editor of Al-Jareeda, Ashraf Abdel-Aziz; the publisher of the News daily, Awad Mohamed; and the Managing Editor, Majed Al-Quni.

Abdel-Aziz told the Sudan Tribute that the NISS has been surrounding their office headquarters for a couple of days. “We would continue to resist all kinds of censorship,” he said. “We would adopt escalatory steps including carrying out a sit-in at the premises of the SJU [Sudanese Journalists Union] and we might go in hunger strike but we won’t give up.”

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