Sudan ‘deliberately delays’ trial against Mudawi: lawyer

The authorities' dealing with complaints against the detention of human rights activist Dr Mudawi Ibrahim are deliberately delaying procedures, the defence lawyer claimed. The security authorities have misguided a woman who went on a hunger strike until she can visit her detained son.

Lawyer Nabil Adeeb told Radio Dabanga yesterday that Dr Mudawi now has spent about two months in detention. In this period Adeeb already filed a complaint against the ongoing detention of his client without trial. “This is enough time for the prosecution to determine whether or not there is a charge and then turn it over to the court or release him.

“The longer the period of pre-trial detention, the higher the degree of punishment without a court order, this is something which is unacceptable.”

Adeeb said that the Sudanese prosecution has refused his request to charge Dr Mudawi with an offence, transfer him to trial, or to be released for good. The activist and Khartoum University professor has been in detention since 6 December 2016, for reasons the authorities have not made public, and his health condition is reportedly deteriorating.

All others who were detained by the Sudanese security service for their relations to Dr Mudawi, including his driver, accountant and a lawyer, have been released this month.

'Mudawi has spent enough time in prison for the prosecution to decided on the charges, or his release.' – Lawyer Nabil Adeeb

“The prosecution rejected our request on the grounds that the complaint nearly includes the commission of crimes which are punishable with the death penalty. But it did not clarify or mention those suspected crimes to us.”

His defence team plans to file another request to the judiciary, asking the prosecution to provide a trial within a week in the event there is a clear charge against Dr Mudawi. “They must consider that his time spent in detention is enough to reach such a decision, or to decide to release him.”

Currently the only known charge against the activist is 'attempted suicide', which the Sudanese security apparatus claimed based on his hunger strike in Kober Prison in Khartoum North.

Hunger strike

This week the mother of a man who is being detained in Kober Prison embarked on a hunger strike until she can visit her son, or he is released. Kawther Mohamed Omer told Radio Dabanga on Thursday that the security service did not allow the family to visit her son, Mohamed Hassan 'Boushi' El A’lim, despite an earlier notification of acceptance.

“I was denied meeting my son. I was present at the southern gate of Kober Prison at 12pm, as scheduled by the security service. I waited for more than four hours without being allowed to see him,” she said.

The security agents denied access to her, claiming that the prison administration has not received a permission for the visit from the security service.