South Sudan journalist briefly detained under cybercrimes act for ‘defaming’ top army general

JUBA – Prominent South Sudanese journalist Michael Rial Christopher was on Monday last week briefly detained by the police under the cybercrimes act for allegedly defaming a senior commander of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).

Christopher who is the editor-in-chief of the Juba-based Arabic newspaper Al Watan had earlier discussed in a live Facebook video demolition of a house and theft of a plot of land belonging to an old woman by a senior army general in the capital Juba.

Speaking to Sudans Post last evening, Christopher said he was detained for the whole day at Munuki police department and said he was accused, under the cybercrimes act, of defaming the unnamed army general in the live social media video.

“I was arrested at Munuki police station after my arrest. The case against me was pursued in accordance with the cybercrimes act and that I defamed a general in the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces which is not correct,” Christopher said in Juba.

The journalist who is now released on bail denied any wrongdoing, and said he was doing his work as a journalist in discussing with the victim whose land is allegedly stolen by the senior member of the national army.

“I was doing my duty as a journalist to discuss the attack on the house of an elderly and poor woman in 107 neighborhood of Munuki Payam and I have done anything wrong that can amount to a crime of defamation,” Christopher said.

“I did not intend to harm anyone’s reputation. I was just doing my journalistic duty to discuss a legitimate complaint expressed by the elderly lady, Mama Sabina, who had all the foundations of her house demolished during the demolition process,” he added.