Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on South Sudan’s National Security Service to stop seizing and shutting down newspapers.
In a statement issued on Friday the international bodies told the Security Service to cease harassing, intimidating and unlawfully detaining journalists.
South Sudan researcher at Amnesty International Elizabeth Ashamu Deng said National Security Service abuses contributed to a growing atmosphere of fear among journalists and human rights defenders.’
Human Rights Watch Africa director Daniel Bekele said they saw the National Security Service and other authorities erode freedom of expression since South Sudan’s independence through abusive practices and those should end now.
They warned against restriction of freedom of expression and curtailing public debate about federalism as a means to end conflict.
The groups called on the National Legislative Assembly to ensure proper oversight of National Service Security in line with international human rights law and standards.