Damazin, May 31 (Darfur24)
The Emergency Lawyers Group on Sunday accused the army’s security cell in the Blue Nile region of arbitrarily arresting journalist Hassan Hamed Hamad and forcibly disappearing him since May 13.
Hassan Hamed, who presents programs in local languages for Blue Nile Radio, was reportedly arrested by members of the security cell from inside the radio station’s premises in Damazin before being taken to an undisclosed location.
In a statement, the group said neither the journalist’s family nor colleagues have been informed of his whereabouts or legal status since his detention.
The Emergency Lawyers described the incident as an arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance, arguing that it was carried out without an order from the Public Prosecution or judicial authorization.
The group stated that the detention violates Sudan’s Criminal Procedure Code, which limits the powers of arrest and detention to legally authorized authorities and requires adherence to established legal procedures.
According to the statement, the case reflects what it described as a continuing pattern of arbitrary arrests and the delegation of detention powers to bodies lacking a clear legal mandate, raising concerns over accountability and due process.
The group held the security and military authorities in the Blue Nile region fully responsible for the safety and well-being of the detained journalist.
It called for the immediate disclosure of Hassan Hamed’s whereabouts, his unconditional release, an end to what it described as harassment of media institutions and journalists, and accountability for those responsible for the incident.