Journalists in prison as of December 1, 2011

Sudan: 4

Abdelrahman Adam Abdelrahman, Radio Dabanga
Adam al-Nur Adam, Radio Dabanga
Zakaria Yacoub Eshag, Radio Dabanga
Imprisoned: October 30, 2010

The Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Services arrested several journalists and human rights activists during a raid on the shared Khartoum offices of Radio Dabanga and the Human Rights and Advocacy Network for Democracy, according to local and international news reports.

Abdelrahman, the station's Sudan director, and reporters al-Nur and Eshag remained in custody in late year, according to local journalists. Although the station is outlawed in Sudan because of its coverage of Darfur and human rights, it is based in the Netherlands and uses shortwave frequencies to transmit its signal into Sudan.

The three journalists were being held on antistate charges stemming from their reporting on the humanitarian situation in Darfur, the station reported. The journalists were also accused of threatening national peace and security, espionage against the state, and undermining the constitutional system, Dabanga said on its website.

The defendants, all whom were being held at Khartoum's Kober Prison, went on trial in July 2011, at which time they denied all charges against them. Their trial was pending in late year.

Jamal Osman Hamad, freelance
Imprisoned: October 24, 2011

Security forces in Khartoum arrested Hamad, an exiled Eritrean journalist, according to Sudanese human rights groups and exiled Eritrean journalists. Authorities did not immediately disclose Hamad's whereabouts, or legal status.

Hamad is a veteran journalist who had been living in Sudan for several years and writing for the Eritrean opposition news website Adoulis. His articles have been critical of Eritrean government policies.

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