A/HRC/45/53 with the former regime. The non-governmental organizations were allegedly owned or directed by relatives of the leaders of the former regime. Allegedly, their status exempted them from paying taxes and customs, and they were allowed to build offices on lands that were provided free-of-charge. The Independent Expert received credible reports that the affected non-governmental organizations submitted appeals for judicial review. As of the time of writing, there had been no update on the matter. 38. The Independent Expert is also concerned by the dissolution of trade unions perceived to be affiliated with the former regime, without judicial review. On 14 December 2019, the committee for dismantling the former regime issued Decree No. 3 of 2019 relating to the dissolution of trade unions, which is aimed at seizing all properties and assets of all trade unions and at establishing a committee to revise trade union laws and prepare for new elections of union leaders. On 16 December 2019, the Central Bank of Sudan issued a decision to seize and freeze the assets of the dissolved trade unions. That action may breach freedom of association and the right of workers to form and join trade unions in order to protect their interests as guaranteed in the constitutional document and by the country’s international human rights obligations, including the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) of the International Labour Organization. 39. Equally important for protecting civic space are oversight bodies, such as courts and human rights commissions and institutions, which function as accountability mechanisms. Owing to measures aimed at combating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, courts in the Sudan are currently suspended, and the existing National Human Rights Commission is subjected to reforms or re-establishment in accordance with the constitutional document. As a result, individuals are currently unable to access domestic accountability mechanisms. D. Press freedom and harassment of journalists 40. The Independent Expert welcomes the public pledges made by the Government of the Sudan to protect freedom of opinion and expression. Notably, in September 2019, the Prime Minister pledged at the General Assembly: “Never again in the new Sudan will a journalist be repressed or jailed.”11 The Government of the Sudan also signed the Global Pledge to Defend Media Freedom, an initiative of Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and it has improved its ranking on the 2020 World Press Freedom Index by 16 points, now ranking 159th out of 180. In addition, on 16 October 2019, the Minister of Culture and Information pledged to end censorship of political books.12 The Independent Expert also welcomes the authorization of new licenses for 15 television and radio stations by the Broadcast Licensing Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Information, as announced on 16 July 2020. 13 Such a step is vital for the promotion of media pluralism. 41. Despite these developments, the Independent Expert is concerned by new legal developments that restrict freedom of expression and impose harsh penalties. On 31 May 2020, the Joint Council passed the Law for Protecting Doctors, Medical Personnel and Health Facilities of 2020, with a view to deterring the repeated assaults on doctors and health workers in the Sudan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While noting the Government’s intention to protect medical personnel, the law also restricts freedom of expression. Under the heading of “crimes and punishments”, the law stipulates that publishing misleading or incorrect information that affects the performance of medical personnel can be punishable with imprisonment for up to 10 years. 42. The Independent Expert received credible information that since 29 May 2020, Lana Awad, a female human rights defender and journalist working with the Ministry of Health 11 12 13 8 www.youtube.com/watch?v=eElvRfJzNWo. www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/sudan-culture-minister-no-censorship-at-15th-khartouminternational-book-fair. www.facebook.com/MOCI.SD/photos/a.106346854166905/191100962358160/?type= 3&theatre (in Arabic).