A recent amendment to Sudan's 1991 criminal code could mean that journalists and politicians could now face the death penalty for online posts, rights groups and activists have warned.
The amendment now includes media publications and electronic media as potential crimes against the state.
The development comes amid an armed conflict between the Sudanese forces and the notorious RSF paramilitary group, which has raged on since 2023 and significantly hindered freedom of expression and journalism in the country.
It also comes at the same time the government implemented a mechanism designed to tackle cybercrime. However, activists state this has been used to monitor publications, media outlets and potential dissidents.
Sudanese journalist Majid Mohammed told The New Arab that the increasing punishment for those who publish content online is inconsistent with the government’s stated goal of opening and improving dialogue with citizens in the country.
“The amendments have failed to distinguish between the freedom of Sudanese people and enemies in Sudan who may use social media or online platforms to harm the state,” he said.
He urged a “review of the amendments, because their implementation will create and directly lead to the end of any dialogue initiatives and will create a negative climate for any consensus and agreements".
He also noted one of his biggest concerns was it would prevent the press from fulfilling its role towards the nation and civilians, and from assisting state institutions from carrying out their responsibilities through monitoring, oversight, and combating misinformation.
Amendment to penal code
Earlier this week, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, issued a temporary decree under the Miscellaneous Amendments Act of 2026, which included changes to several laws.
The amendments were published in a special supplement to the Official Gazette.
Article 51, which pertains to inciting war against the state and includes terms such as the training of individuals, collecting weapons, or attempting to support or incite such actions, was amended to include electronic and media publications.
The original article states that anyone charged with the aforementioned “shall be considered to have committed the crime of inciting war against the state and shall be punished by death or a lesser term of life imprisonment, with the possibility of confiscating all their assets”.
Backlash against the amendment
According to local media reports, the amendments have sparked backlash among journalists, activists and politicians, and since the change, there has been a marked decrease in discussions, posts and articles on social media from Sudan.
Some activists have decried the move, stating that the government will likely exploit the amendment, and interpret any dissent or expressions of opinion as a crime against the state under the penal code.
The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate announced in a statement on Friday that it stood firm in its rejection of the amendment to Article 51 of the 1991 Criminal Code, and Prime Minister Kamil Idris’ decision to establish the National Mechanism for Combatting Cybercrime.
The syndicate said there would be serious repercussions to the measures, and press freedoms, and the right to access certain information, particularly in light of the ongoing war, would be severely hindered.
It cautioned against granting further powers for the state to monitor and track media outlets and social media platforms, or act against publishers based on vague descriptions and the wording of the penal code.
The political group The Radical Change Alliance also this week rejected the amendments, demanding that the changes be repealed and calling for an end to the prosecution of journalists and activists.
Human rights activist Othman Saleh told The New Arab that “the intention behind this amendment is clear – it's to restrict freedom of publication, expression and press. It also hinders the work of activists and journalists who document violations from all sides, and analyse and express opinions on all issues”.
