Sudan Bans YouTube Website, in an Unacceptable Violation of the Internet and Information Freedoms

Said the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information –ANHRI.NET today, that the Sudanese government blocked the YouTube Website (www.youtube.com), and made it inaccessible to the internet users in Sudan since 22nd July, where an error message appears stating that the Sudanese National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) blocked the site was blocked.

This decision adds Sudan to the list of countries that have banned YouTube website, which includes Turkey, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, and Syria … etc.

NTC did not provide any reasons for blocking the well known, and worldwide popular website, that allow sharing, uploading, downloading and watching user-created movies for free.

The YouTube has become a key tool for political and internet activists recently, as in very recent months the activists had published many video clips some of which expose the Sudanese security personnel beating and torturing detained minors, whom were arrested and imprisoned on the background of the May 10th events, an armed attack on Khartoum by the Justice and Equality Movement JEM, for which Khartoum had launched a wide arrest campaign targeting Darfurian tribes.

The blockage of the YouTube is unwelcomed nationwide, and many journalists and activists had launched campaigns on some blogs and the Sudaneseonline website- which also has been blocked for a short while at the end of 2005-, demanding the government to unblock the YouTube website.

The Arabic Network calls on the Sudanese government to lift the ban on the YouTube website and to end this policy which is a breach of the freedom of information, particularly the right to use the internet circulate knowledge.