Sudan mortuary director charged over missing protestors

The Public Prosecution in Khartoum has charged the suspended director of the Omdurman Hospital mortuary in connection with the demonstrators who disappeared during the violent dispersal of the Khartoum sit-in on June 3, 2019.

After his immunity was lifted, mortuary director Jamal Yousef was charged under Article 89 of the Sudanese Criminal Law, regarding crimes committed by public servants intending to harm, Article 97 regarding submitting false statements, and Article 107 regarding covering up offences.

On October 9, 2019, the Sudanese Doctors Central Committee accused several hospital morgues of providing misleading information to the families of missing protestors. The doctors accuse the mortuaries of denying that bodies were present at the morgues while in fact they were.

In one case, the body of protestor Gusei Hemeto, who disappeared on June 3, 2019, was found in the Omdurman Hospital morgue four months later. He had been shot in the head, which had made it impossible for his family to identify him. DNA testing disclosed his identity.

Mass grave

The initial investigation into the mass grave that was found in Khartoum two months ago by the committee set up by Sudan’s Attorney General to investigate people missing since the start of the December Revolution has been completed. The mass grave may contain bodies of some of the people who are still considered as ‘missing’ after what is known as the Ramadan 29/June 3 massacre in front of the army command in Khartoum in 2019, which caused the death of at least 127 people.

In a press statement yesterday, the committee investigation the mass grave said that the exhumations and autopsies can now begin.

In September 2019, the Sudanese Professionals Association set up an Initiative for Missing People. In October 2019, three unidentified bodies were buried.

Three weeks ago, the independent national commission of inquiry into the violent dispersal of the Khartoum sit-in, started its in-person questioning of the military members of the Sovereign Council. The commission of inquiry is led by prominent lawyer and human rights activist Nabil Adib.

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