Emmanuel Monychol Akop, editor-in-chief of the privately owned The Dawn daily newspaper in Juba, was released without charge Thursday after six months in detention at a facility run by South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS).
The reason for his arrest remains unclear.
Akop’s prolonged detention highlights ongoing concerns over due process in South Sudan, where the constitution requires suspects to appear in court within 24 hours of arrest. Pretrial detention cannot legally exceed six months without a court order.
On November 28, 2024, officers believed to be from the NSS detained Akop at his office without presenting a warrant. His whereabouts were unknown until his release.
This was not his first arrest: In 2019, Akop was held for over a month after criticizing a minister’s attire in a Facebook post.
A colleague, speaking anonymously for safety, confirmed Akop’s release to Radio Tamazuj: “Monychol came to the office today confirming he has been released and proceeded home.”
Patrick Oyet, president of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan, welcomed the release but raised concerns.
“It’s good he is out, though we are concerned about the long detention without knowing the charges,” Oyet said. “We are happy, and now no journalist remains in detention—which is positive.”
Edmund Yakani, a civil society activist, welcomed the release of Journalist Emmanuel Monychol Akop after six months of detention by the NSS but accused the agency of violating human rights.
“I urge the NSS to uphold the principles of the rule of law and respect for human rights. Detaining Emmanuel for six months without providing justice is unacceptable and demonstrates a clear violation of human rights and an undermining of the rule of law,” he said.
NSS spokesperson John David Kumuri said he had no immediate information on the release but would “crosscheck with the officers in charge.”
Critics warn that South Sudan’s National Security Service Act, which allows warrantless arrests, threatens civil liberties and press freedom.
Rights groups have documented multiple allegations of abuses against detainees in the NSS headquarters, known as Blue House.
Although the NSS Act gives the agency powers of detention, it does not specify locations where NSS detainees can be held. The intelligence agency operates multiple detention facilities in Juba and at least one detention site in each state.