Western Bahr al Ghazal State governor Rizik Zachariah Hassan on Thursday made vague allegations against a detained journalist without specifying the charges for which the journalist has been detained.
George Livio, a South Sudanese journalist working with UNMISS Radio Miraya in Wau was arrested nearly two weeks ago. The government has held him in contravention of the country’s criminal code, which states that a detained citizen must be charged with a crime in order to be held in custody.
At a press conference in Juba, the governor said that the journalist has violated the national constitution of the country without giving further details of what crime the journalist supposedly committed.
“This is a legal process, because we are abiding by the constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, and if any individual violates the law, has violated the constitution, and this is a normal process… the journalist will not be above the law,” Rizik said.
The governor stated that the arrest took place while he was traveling in Egypt and claimed not to have further details to give about the detained journalist.
Governor Rizik also told journalists should not ‘interfere’ with the constitution of the country in order not to be in problem with the security or the law.
File photo: George Livio
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South Sudan holds journalist without charge, denies father access (28 Aug.)
National Security detain UN radio journalist in Wau (26 Aug.)