FACT-CHECK: Ateny Wek Ateny wasn’t picked by security for questioning

A social media claim that Ateny Wek Ateny was picked by security for questioning is false.

Nation in Review, an online page which describes itself as a media critic with over 46,000 followers, was formerly created in December 2022 with the name I Support President Kiir and changed its name to the current one in July 2025.

It posted claiming Ateny Wek Ateny (archived), the former presidential press secretary, was picked up by security for questioning after he had allegedly criticised (archived) Vice President for Economic Cluster, Benjamin Bol Mel.

The claim attracted over 800 reactions, 200 comments and 75 shares in less than six hours.

*A screenshot of the claim as published on Facebook*

Debunking the Claim:

The ClarityDesk investigated the claim using a keyword search that returned results with a publication by Ateny Wek Ateny about the claim.
A keyword search for the main words, Ateny Wek Ateny, picked for questioning, didn’t return any other results, except for the statement published on Facebook.
In a written response through his official Facebook page, Ateny Wek Ateny, denied the claims that he was arrested by the security describing the news from Nation in Review as “fake news.”
A screenshot of Ateny Wek’s response on FacebookOur Verdict:
The ClarityDesk finds a claim that the former presidential press secretary Ateny Wek Ateny was picked up for questioning by security to be false. Ateny Wek Ateny, writing on his Facebook account, invalidated the claim as fake news.