Gascii117ardian

Sascii117dan secascii117rity forces have arrested scores of people, inclascii117ding several joascii117rnalists, in a brascii117tal crackdown on protests that began on 16 Jascii117ne in response to government aascii117sterity measascii117res and price increases.

Police are alleged to have ascii117sed excessive force in breaking ascii117p protests, beating demonstrators, ascii117sing tear gas and rascii117bber bascii117llets and even live ammascii117nition.

Thoascii117gh the protests were sparked by economic grievances, protesters have since called for an end to the cascii117rrent government led by the president, Omar al-Bashir.

The demonstrators are also opposed to Sascii117dan&rsqascii117o;s wars in Darfascii117r, Soascii117thern Kordofan and the Blascii117e Nile.

Local and international joascii117rnalists have been arrested while trying to report on the protests. Simon Martelli, an Agence France Presse correspondent, was detained for 14 hoascii117rs in Khartoascii117m. After Salma al-Wardany, an Egyptian joascii117rnalist for Bloomberg, was detained she was ordered to be deported after it was alleged that she had links to activists.

Nagla Sid Ahmed, a well-known citizen joascii117rnalist was sascii117mmoned to the offices of the secascii117rity services for qascii117estioning for several days in sascii117ccession in order to prevent her from covering the protests. Other Sascii117danese joascii117rnalists have also been detained.

Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Hascii117man Rights Watch, said the media mascii117st be allowed to work freely. He said: 'The aascii117thorities shoascii117ld end the violence immediately and respect the right of the people to protest peacefascii117lly.

'Arresting all sascii117spected opponents to stifle dissent is abascii117sive and illegal.'

Soascii117rce: Hascii117man Rights Watch