The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) has called for the release of four journalists of the South Sudan Broadcasting Cooperation being held by the national Security.
“UJOSS urges South Sudan’s government to release staff of South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) who are illegally detained at the National Security Headquarters,” Oyet says in a press statement issued on Monday.
In January, six Journalists were picked up and taken to the NSS detention facility, commonly known as blue house, for investigation over the leaked video of President Kiir.
The SSBC six are: Victor Lado, editor; Joval Tombe, control room director; Mustafa Osman, technician and Camera operator; Cherbek Ruben, technician and camera operator; Oliver Wani, camera operator; and Jacob Benjamin, camera operator.
On 12 December 2022, President Kiir commissioned the first section of Bahr el Ghazal road. A day later, a video showing the head of state in an embarrassing situation while singing the national anthem was leaked to the public.
After few weeks later, three reporters – Tombe, Ruben, and Wani, were released. And one Garang John was also arrested on 20 January in connection to the same case, bringing to four the total number of the reporters still under detention.
Since then, the journalists remain behind bars without trial – a scenario which the union of journalists described as violation of all the laws in the country.
“Their continuous detention is a violation of Transitional Constitution of South Sudan 2011, as amended, Article 19 (4) which dictates that a person arrested may be held in detention for a period not exceeding 24 hours,” said Oyet “It’s also a violation of all procedural laws of South Sudan.”
