"I'm happy. It's a very important precedent," said Faisal Mohammed
Salih in a press interview after Judge Esmat Suliman threw out the
charge.
A member of Sudan's security bureau filed a criminal code complaint
against Salih, alleging he had lied and insulted the state in a 2011 column
about an activist's allegation of rape in custody.
Salih could have been jailed for up to six months if
convicted.
The journalist "did not publish lies and did not insult the state",
Suliman ruled. "A lot of media published about this
case."
In his article, Salih had called for a "serious investigation" into
the activist's allegation that she was raped in
detention.
"It's very positive for the freedom of the press and the role of
the press in society," he said, noting that the judge described his article as
"very objective".
Other journalists were previously jailed and fined for writing
about the activist's case, and one more reporter is still before the courts,
Salih said.
Salih also teaches journalism and advocates for press freedom. In
October, Salih received the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical
Journalism, named for the late Agence France-Presse reporter and editor Peter
Mackler.
Camille Mackler, project director for the Peter Mackler Award,
said: “Our goal for the last five years has always been to shine a light on the
courage and commitment to human rights and dignity that Mr. Salih exhibits
every day through his work.
“When a young woman was raped by government forces, he could have
simply chosen to look the other way and not risk his own life. Instead, he
reported about it until the same forces tried to silence him as well. This
courage and attachment to journalistic ethics is what the Peter Mackler Award
seeks to encourage and reward every year”, she
added.
Sudan ranks near the bottom, at 170 out of 179, in the Reporters
Without Borders (RSF) 2013 World Press Freedom Index. w/pix of F. Mohammed
Salih
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