Nasr Yaqoub, a freelance journalist who reports on the conflict in Sudan via his Facebook page with around 5,000 followers, was arrested on July 7, 2025, by members of the Sudan Liberation Movement–Transitional Council (SLM–TC), an armed group affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
SLM–TC members arrested Yaqoub alongside fellow journalist Mohamed Ahmed Nazar at a shop in Abu Shouk Camp market in El-Fasher, North Darfur. The arrest came two days after a member of the same group allegedly shot at Yaqoub when he refused to hand over a Starlink device, which he used to connect to the internet. Yaqoub was unharmed in the incident.
Yaqoub was not covering a specific event at the time of his arrest but used Starlink to publish updates on the war in Sudan, according to a local journalist who is following the case and spoke with CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. SLM–TC accused Yaqoub and Nazar of provocation and media incitement.
Both Yaquob and Nazar were released on July 9, according to the local journalist.
Yaqoub and Nazar’s arrest highlights the growing danger faced by journalists in Sudan who rely on independent internet access to report on the conflict.
CPJ’s email to the SLM–TC requesting comment on Yaqoub’s arrest received no response.