South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State Assembly wants the Catholic Church to immediately withdraw the case against a journalist whose arrest was linked to the breaking of the church’s statue.
The Assembly described the arrest of Sisto Germano Ohide as an act done outside the constitution.
The Chairperson for Standing Specialized Committee for Information and Communication, Micael Kokol, expressed the sentiments during a joint press statement at the Assembly in Torit on Wednesday.
Ohide, who works for the community Singaita FM Radio Station, was on Tuesday arrested for what was suspected to be his airing the story about the breaking of the statue.
He was the third victim of the arrest in the unfolding statue drama. Two family members of the woman said to have broken the statue were arrested last Friday.
Eastern Equatoria Judiciary on Monday transferred Grace Lokoro and her daughter Nandege Magdalene from Torit Central Police Station to the main prison without any trial.
“Today, I have called you to specifically condemn the arrest of journalist Sisto Ohide Germano. He is now on his way to attend a trial in Torit,” Kokol said.
He said the arrest was unfair as Ohide only interviewed a priest over some crimes that some individuals committed in the church.
This is intimidation and a restriction of the freedom of expression, which we in parliament champion, he said, pointing out that the journalist was only trying to resolve a conflict between an individual and the church.
The Chairperson for Legal and Constitutional Affairs in Parliament, Faisal Likale Olum, said the church has the right to exercise its faith, but should not victimize a journalist going about his work.
“Arresting a journalist for circulating information is totally unconstitutional and I urge the church to withdraw the case and the journalist be freed,’’ Olum said.
Eastern Equatoria State Minister for Information John Elia Ahaji distanced himself from the journalist’s arrest, saying the government had no role in it.
He said the government would allow the law to take its course since no one was above the law.
South Sudanese journalists report frequent obstruction, harassment and arbitrary arrests by the authorities, limiting their ability to inform the public.
The country ranks 136th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ annual World Press Freedom Index 2024.
