Washington, D.C., January 22, 2025—Prominent Sudanese journalist Yahya Hamad Fadlallah has died in a hospital, one month after Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) arrested him and his son at their home in the capital Khartoum on December 11, according to news reports.
Fadlallah was tortured by the army, falsely accused of collaborating with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and denied medical treatment for his diabetes, the Darfur Bar Association said, citing unnamed sources close to Fadlallah. The local trade union Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS) made the same allegations. CPJ was unable to independently verify the allegations.
Fadlallah died on January 13 in Al Nou Hospital in Omdurman, in Khartoum State, where he was taken after being released from detention on January 10 due to poor health, according to the SJS and a journalist familiar with the case who spoke with CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.
“We are deeply shocked by the death of Sudanese journalist Yahya Hamad Fadlallah after his recent arrest by the Sudanese Armed Forces and concerned about the allegations of mistreatment and denial of medical care,” said CPJ Interim MENA Program Coordinator Yeganeh Rezaian. “Sudanese authorities must immediately conduct a transparent investigation into Fadlallah’s death and hold those responsible accountable. Sudanese journalists must be protected, particularly during times of war when access to independent news reports is critical.”
Fadlallah, 65, was a well-known freelance columnist and novelist who also worked with the local television channel Blue Nile TV and the governmental General Authority for Radio and Television.
Numerous journalists have been arrested and killed in Sudan as they have struggled to continue reporting after war broke out between the SAF and the RSF in April 2023, sparking a famine and forcing millions to flee their homes.
CPJ’s email to the SAF requesting comment on Fadlallah’s arrest and death did not receive any replies.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.