Sudanese embassy accused of ‘unlawful arrest’ of activist Tupac in Libya

The Sudanese Observatory for Human Rights has accused staff at Sudan’s embassy in Libya of unlawfully arresting a young Sudanese activist in Tripoli, reportedly because he was among the prisoners freed during a breakout after conflict erupted in Sudan. The group described the arrest as a “flagrant violation” of international law. Mohamed Adam, widely known by his nickname “Tupac,” was detained in the Libyan capital earlier this week by officials from Sudan’s diplomatic mission, according to a statement issued by the rights group.

Adam, an activist, was just 17-years-old at the time, when Sudanese authorities arrested him on accusations of killing a police Brig Gen Ali Bereima during mass protests against the October 2021 military coup.

He and fellow protester Mohamed El Fateh, 18-years-old at the time, were detained on 14 January 2022 outside a hospital in the Burri neighbourhood of Khartoum, where Adam was receiving treatment for a bullet wound sustained during anti-junta demonstrations the previous day. 

While the pair were accused of involvement in the officer’s death, rights groups reported that their interrogators focused on extracting information about protest organisers and funding sources, rather than on the alleged killing itself.

Various Sudanese reported on social media that Brig Gen Ali Bereima was killed a week before. Others tweeted that the police officer was killed in the early morning of January 13, while the demonstrations started much later that day.

Thousands of prisoners in Sudan’s capital were freed a few days after the war broke out in April 2023, after men wearing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) uniforms launched attacks on several prisons.

Tupac was among those released when gunmen stormed El Huda Prison in Omdurman, freeing hundreds of inmates, including political detainees and remand prisoners, amid the chaos triggered by the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary RSF.

Commander-in-chief of the SAF, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, accused the RSF of attacking El Huda Prison and killing its guards. 

RSF commander Mohamed ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo quickly denied these claims, with his media office refuting “allegations circulating on social media regarding the forces’ storming of a prison and the release of prisoners.”

The Sudanese Observatory said the embassy’s actions “constitute a blatant breach of international norms and humanitarian law,” arguing that diplomatic missions are obligated to protect, not endanger, the lives and liberties of their nationals abroad.

“This is an unacceptable and unjustified overreach by a diplomatic institution that should be safeguarding citizens, not threatening them,” the organisation stated.

The group called on Sudanese authorities to ensure Tupac’s immediate and unconditional release and demanded that the principles of human rights and rule of law be upheld in all dealings with Sudanese citizens, regardless of their political affiliations or asylum status.

It also urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to intervene urgently to secure Tupac’s safety and guarantee him access to protection. 

The activist has held documentation from the UNHCR proving his asylum application in Tripoli since November 2024.

There has been no official comment from the Sudanese embassy in Libya.