ARTICLE 19 has welcomed the August 11 decision of the National Security Service to release 31 political detainees as part of the presidential amnesty declared earlier this year by President Salva Kiir.

However, the group urged President Kiir to fulfil his May 2017 commitment to release all political prisoners in South Sudan, and take steps to improve the situation for freedom of expression in the country.

“The detention of political dissidents has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the country and discouraged citizens, religious leaders, civil society and politicians from not only making commentary on the state of the nation, but also highlighting human rights violations in the country.” said Henry Maina, ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa Regional Director in a statement dated 22 August.

ARTICLE 19 said it is seriously concerned by the continued detention and attacks on journalists and civil society actors in the country in addition to the unreleased political dissidents.

It further said media and civil society remain repressed institutions and oppressive regulations continue to stifle them in the country.

ARTICLE 19 pointed out that between 2014 and 2016, at least 20 people have died in different detention camps in Juba alone with no information available about deaths in other camps in the country.

It also urged the South Sudanese government to carry out a full investigation into arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, death and torturous treatment by security agencies, in particular the NSS, as a means to curb impunity for human rights violations against citizens, civil society, and journalists in the country.

The rights organization called for release of all other political dissidents, citizens, journalists, and civil society held for exercising their right to freedom of expression as per the South Sudanese constitution.

It appealed to the government to make concerted efforts to consolidate the protection of freedom of expression in the country through aligning media, civil society, and security sector laws with international human rights standards.

ARTICLE 19 is an international human rights organization with a specific mandate and focus on the defense and promotion of freedom of expression and freedom of information worldwide founded in 1987.