South Sudan security agency releases last batch of detained journalists

JUBA, MARCH 17, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS) on Thursday evening released the remaining journalists from detention, according to a statement issued this evening by the journalists’ body.

The journalists, seven in total, were arrested by the spy agency on different occasions in January following the circulation of a video in which President Salva Kiir Mayardit could be seen wetting on himself in public during inauguration of a road project north of the capital Juba.

Last month, three of the detained journalists were released from detention by the intelligence agency and just last week, two more were released, bringing the number of those still in the government security agency detention to two.

They are Garang John and Jacob Benjamin.

In a statement this evening, the Union of Journalists of South Sudan said the last two remaining journalist had been released and thanked the media authority and the ministry of information for assistance.

“The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) welcomes the release of Garang John and Jacob Benjamin. UJOSS thanks Media Authority, the National Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services, National Security Service and UJOSS legal team for bringing this case to an end,” the body said in a statement extended to Sudans Post.

“UJOSS will continue to engage with all stakeholders in the country to ensure journalists work in a free and safe environment,” they added.

When contacted by Sudans Post, the head of the journalists’ union Oyet Patrick Charles said the journalists were released on Thursday evening.

“They were released on Thursday evening at around 7:00OM,” he told Sudans Post on phone just moments ago.