Faisal Saleh

Peter Mackler Award In 2013, Saleh received Saleh told the interviewer that he felt al-Bashir's government was raising tensions with South Sudan to make it a "scapegoat" for the South Kordofan rebellion in an effort to deflect the administration's own failures to deal with the rebellion's causes. Saleh also argued that the Sudanese government should attempt to solve the crisis with diplomacy rather than force, rather than risk the political and humanitarian consequences of an armed conflict.

On 25 April, Saleh was ordered to report to Sudanese police for questioning; the police reportedly also warned him against speaking further to foreign media. After twelve days of interrogation, Saleh was charged with "crimes against the state" as well as new charges of defamation for his reporting the Safia Ishaag rape case, for which he had been already arrested the previous year. The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information also condemned the arrest, describing it as part of "the severe decline of freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of the press" in Sudan. The Doha Centre for Media Freedom criticized Saleh's interrogations and detention, calling them "harassment" designed "to prevent Saleh from doing his work as a journalist". The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists also called on Sudanese authorities to "release Saleh immediately and stop harassing him." The International Federation of Human Rights called "on the Sudanese authorities to put an end to the judicial harassment faced by Mr. Salih", and launched a letter-writing campaign on his behalf.

A group of journalists held a protest on 17 May in front of the headquarters of Sudan's Press and Publication Council to show solidarity with Saleh and calling for an "end to pre-censorship and restrictions against press and journalists". Saleh's court hearing was scheduled for 11 June 2012.