CPJ and SJS submits joint report to UN ahead of Sudan human rights review

Moatinoon
In a comprehensive joint submission for the 54th Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group at the United Nations, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS) have issued a stark warning regarding the catastrophic decline of press freedom in Sudan since the outbreak of the war.

Since the beginning of the armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023, Sudan has rapidly transformed into one of the most perilous environments globally for media professionals. The submission documents an alarming surge in targeted killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, physical torture, and horrific instances of gender-based violence against journalists.

According to the documented data up to mid-2026, the SJS has registered at least 34 journalists killed since the inception of the war, while CPJ has verified that at least 16 were targeted exclusively for their professional work. The reporting underscores a terrifying environment where media infrastructure has been seized, complete communications blackouts have been weaponized to create "information vacuums," and widespread impunity leaves perpetrators completely unaccounted for.

The joint submission highlights distinct methodologies of repression utilized by the warring parties:

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Rely heavily on the formal legal system and administrative mechanisms to institutionalize the restriction of press freedom. This includes using the amended Cybercrime Act to criminalize digital expression, prosecuting journalists under vague "false news" or national security provisions, and arbitrarily suspending independent outlets such as Sudania 24.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF): Primarily employ brutal extrajudicial methods to silence the press. RSF soldiers have engaged in mass arbitrary detentions, systematic house raids, targeted kidnappings, and severe physical torture. Furthermore, female journalists in conflict zones, particularly in El-Fasher, have faced targeted sexual violence and gang rape explicitly in retaliation for their reporting.

As of mid-2026, several journalists remain missing or forcibly disappeared, including Ogail Ahmed Naime, Haitham Dafallah, Tariq Abdallah, Mawaheb Ibrahim, Zahraa Muhammad Al-Hassan, Ishraqah Abdulrahan, and Adam Issac Minan. Others remain arbitrarily detained in harrowing conditions without access to legal representation or basic medical care.

CPJ and SJS concluded their submission with an urgent call to the international community and Sudanese authorities to guarantee safe and unhindered access for independent reporting, promptly investigate all violations under international humanitarian law, immediately release all detained media workers, and dismantle the pervasive culture of impunity that threatens to completely extinguish independent journalism in Sudan.