On May 18, 2026, Sudanese authorities arrested Rishan Oshi, a freelance Sudanese journalist and host on local private channel AlBalad TV, in the eastern city of Port Sudan. The arrest took place just hours after a Sudanese court sentenced her to one year in prison and fined her 10 million Sudanese pounds (US$16,662), according to news reports.
The court convicted Oshi of defamation under articles 25 and 26 of the cybercrime law, according to a local journalist who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
According to the journalist, Oshi’s arrest is connected to a 2025 post she published on her Facebook page, which has over 400,000 followers. In the post, Oshi alleges widespread corruption and betrayal within Sudanese state institutions and brings to light the story of an official accused of covering up the sale of diplomatic state property to a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander.
Oshi’s detention comes amid a broader deterioration of press freedom in Sudan, following the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. Journalists across the country have been killed, detained, disappeared, legally harassed, and faced attacks from both warring parties.
On July 1, 2026, Oshi was released and acquitted on appeal.
CPJ emailed the Sudanese Armed Forces for comment but did not receive a response.