Juba City Council on Saturday detained a journalist from a community radio station for six hours for covering a demolition exercise at Hai Thoura in Juba.

According to Choul Jany, the authorities from the city council arrested him while covering the demolition of buildings along the road at Hai Thoura estate.

He said three security personnel from Juba City Council—one in casual attire and another in police uniform—accosted and arrested him.

“A man putting on white uniform came and ordered for my arrest after which I was put in the Juba City Council car,” Choul said.

 Jany told the City Review on Whatsapp that he was arrested at 2:30 pm despite having been permitted to cover the exercise.

“I was arrested at 2:30 pm, kept in the City Council car for 1 hour and 30 minutes, later they drove me to City Council’s headquarters,”  he narrated.

“I was detained together with others who had different cases.”

Choul said it was at 7:30 pm when they escorted him to the office of the mayor where he was later set free without charges.

“They said I should not be filming the demolitions of the shops without permission. But I had introduced myself before starting my work and also I requested the mayor for an interview which he had promised to make it later after the demolition,” he explained.

Choul condemned his arrest terming it a violation of the right of access to information and freedom of the press.

In July, a journalist working at the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Cooperation (SSBC) Alfred Angasi was detained for 21 days by the security service saying “he refused to read the presidential decree.”

Another incident was on October 16, 2020, when national security arrested former Juba Monitor reporter Bullen Alexander Bala and handed him over to the police for covering students’ protests at the University of Juba.

Bullen was detained at Malakia Police Station for three days before he was released without charges after the administration of Juba Monitor challenged the police to take the case to court if they think the journalist had committed any crime.