A/HRC/42/63 Front, a constituent group of the Forces for Freedom and Change that also includes armed movements. Only detainees from the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi – 235 in total – were released in early July. 56. Following his removal, President al-Bashir was reportedly under house arrest in Khartoum until he was transferred to Kober prison in the capital on 17 April. About 23 senior leaders from the formerly ruling National Congress Party were also reportedly held in Kober prison, including acting Chair Ahmed Haroun; the Party’s Vice-President, Osman Kibir; former Vice-President Taha; and Nafi Ali Nafi. The Independent Expert also received information that a team from the national commission for human rights had visited Kober prison in mid-June, had met with the 23 leaders and had reported publicly about their detention conditions. The Independent Expert was also informed that other National Congress Party members had been detained in other detention facilities in Khartoum and other states. D. Restrictions on freedom of expression and harassment of journalists 57. A series of restrictive measures were imposed on the media in the Sudan after the start of protests and through the period after the removal of President al-Bashir. During the period under review, members of the security services arrested dozens of journalists, while several national newspapers were banned and the journalism licences of Sudanese journalists and work permits of foreign journalists were withdrawn. The ministry responsible for telecommunications frequently blocked social media platforms, particularly in December and January, and enforced a complete shutdown of the Internet in June. 58. Several national and international journalists reported intimidation by security agents while covering the demonstrations in Khartoum; some, including a correspondent for CNN, were allegedly violently beaten. On 26 December, the correspondent for the London-based Alaraby television network was ordered by authorities to leave the Sudan within 24 hours. 59. Sources reported that at least eight journalists, including two women, from the AlTayyar national newspaper were arrested on 27 December in Khartoum by the National Intelligence and Security Services for protesting against media restrictions in front of the newspaper’s office. Their mobile phones were reportedly searched and the journalists were released after a few hours. 60. Credible reports indicated that members of the National Intelligence and Security Services had detained 28 journalists for several hours on 14 January ahead of a planned sitin to protest the pre-publication censorship of Sudanese newspapers. 61. Civil society groups reported that eight journalists and media professionals from the Al-Tayyar, Al-Jarida and Alyoum Altali newspapers were arrested by police on 17 January and charged with public nuisance. They were all released on bail the same day. A court reportedly dismissed the charges by the end of February. 62. On 21 January, the licences of Sudanese journalists and work permits of foreign correspondents working for the Al-Hadath, Al-Jazeera and Anadolu Agency news networks were withdrawn and renewals were denied. 63. The Sudanese Journalists Network issued a statement on 27 January reporting that security agents had arrested the editor-in-chief of Al-Midan newspaper, an outlet affiliated with the Communist Party, and other journalists of that newspaper, including in the cities of Kosti, Nyala and Port Sudan.15 64. President al-Bashir issued an order on 9 February for security services to stop targeting media professionals and to release them from detention. Many journalists were reportedly released following the order, but the targeting and arrest of journalists continued. 15 12 Available at www.facebook.com/857752900918065/posts/2531227210237284?sfns=mo.