Sudan groups condemn calls for journalist Rasha Awad’s killing

Two Sudanese journalists and rights groups on Tuesday condemned social media posts calling for the killing of journalist Rasha Awad and urged authorities to investigate the threats and ensure her safety.

The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate said it was monitoring the circulation of a social media post that it described as an explicit call for Awad’s killing, containing insults, hate speech and threats linked to her political views and positions.

The syndicate called on authorities to launch an immediate investigation, identify those responsible and take legal action. It also urged political and professional groups, as well as public figures, to condemn incitement to violence and called on social media platforms to remove content promoting violence.

The Al Jazeera Human Rights Observatory separately condemned what it described as incitement against Awad on social media. It said the content included calls for her killing, threats and hate speech related to her views.

The observatory called for urgent measures to protect Awad and her family and for an independent and transparent investigation to identify those responsible. It also urged authorities to act against incitement to violence and called on political and community leaders and media organisations to reject hate speech.

One of the posts was published on Facebook by an account using the name “Amira Karrar”. The identity of the person operating the account could not be independently verified.

Awad is a Sudanese journalist and editor-in-chief of the online newspaper Al-Taghyeer. She has written extensively on Sudanese politics and the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as the role of Islamist and civilian political groups.

In May 2025, Awad was among Sudanese journalists who signed an international appeal highlighting conditions facing the country’s media during the war.

Sudanese journalists have faced threats, detention and other risks since the war began in April 2023. Media and human rights groups have repeatedly called on the warring parties and authorities to protect journalists and uphold freedom of expression.