A court in Sudan’s Northern State has convicted a blogger over a Facebook comment deemed insulting to Sovereignty Council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in a ruling that rights advocates say signals an expanding crackdown on online speech.
The criminal court in Dongola found al-Tayeb Mohamed Omer guilty and ordered him to pay a 2 million Sudanese pounds fine (about $1,600) or serve six months in prison, according to the state-run “Northern Now” platform.
The case was filed on December 21 and relates to a comment Omer posted under the name “al-Tayeb Abunduq.” The comment appeared beneath another blogger’s post discussing al-Burhan’s presence at a social gathering during the ongoing war.
Court records said Omer wrote that “trembling hands do not build a nation” and referred to the general as “half a leader.” The judge ruled the remarks amounted to an “explicit insult” and violated Article 26 of Sudan’s Informatics Crimes Law.
The verdict comes after amendments to Sudan’s cybercrime legislation approved on October 13, changes that legal activists warn could broaden penalties and strengthen security powers online. Under the revised framework, fines and prison terms can be applied together, and authorities are granted wider latitude to conduct electronic searches and seize digital material without a judicial warrant.
“This verdict is a form of oppression resulting from merging security agendas with legislation,” Mohamed Salah of the Emergency Lawyers group said, arguing that the new framework contradicts international standards and will further restrict freedom of expression.
Rights groups say the conviction may set a precedent for more prosecutions targeting social media criticism, as the conflict between General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces continues. Officials from the Sovereignty Council were not immediately available to comment.
