A Sudanese newspaper is reporting that its chief editor has been freed after a month in detention for speaking out against President Omar al-Bashir's state of emergency declaration.

Al-Tayar independent newspaper wrote on its Facebook page Friday that Osman Mirghani has been released from detention.

Reporters Without Borders said Mirghani was "clearly paying for his criticism" of the state of emergency declared Feb. 22.

Sudan has been rocked by near daily protests since mid-December against the longtime ruler al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur.

Al-Bashir's government has met the protests with a heavy-handed crackdown and last month declared a state of emergency.