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The Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday called on the South Sudanese authorities to immediately and unconditionally Release Singaita FM journalist Sisto Germano Ohidehe is currently unwell and is being treated for malaria.
“The arrest of Sisto Germano Ohide is another stain on South Sudan’s already poor press freedom record, and his continued detention despite his serious illness is deeply concerning,” said Mutoki Mumoh, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, in Nairobi. “The authorities should release Ohide and drop all charges against him.”
On August 6, police in Kapoeta, Eastern Equatoria State, arrested Ohide after serving an arrest warrant. Accuse him of defamationbut released him a short time later so he could receive treatment for malaria, said David Mayen, station manager at Singaita FM. When the journalist showed up at the station as instructed on August 7, he was arrested and subsequently transferred to Torit Central Police Station, about 75 miles away, where he remains in custody without charge.
On Tuesday, Radio Tamazuj reported that Ohide’s arrest was believed to be related to a report he aired on Singaita FM on July 26 regarding a dispute between a local Catholic parish and a woman accused of vandalizing a church statue.
South Sudanese journalists reported that authorities frequently obstructed, harassed, and arbitrarily arrested them, limiting their ability to report the news to the public.
The 2024 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders shows that South Sudan ranks 136th out of 180 countries.
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