Witnesses heard for some of Sudan’s ‘Blue Nile defendants’ but 79 still not tried: HUDO

17/06/2013 21:11

The Human Rights and Development Organisation (HUDO) issued an update on Monday regarding the 85 detainees, who have been held – 79 still without trial – for more than a year in Blue Nile state. As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, HUDO says that the detainees are part of a group of 113 that have been kept in various prisons in the state. Following heavy fighting between rebel forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) and pro-government militias in Blue Nile state in September 2011, Khartoum dismissed the state governor, replacing him with a military governor who subsequently declared a State of Emergency. “This gave state security authority to exercise arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killing involving a large number of civilians, accusing them of being affiliated to SPLM-N,” an earlier HUDO statement says. According to the most recent statement, hearings resumed in Sinja town on 3 and 5 June. In the case of Musa Jahalla Ando, who was appearing for the third time, the judge heard the police investigator, complainant and the first prosecution witness. It was also the third sitting in the cased of Elsir Aamir Elzaki and Abdalla Elzain Ragab. The judge heard the prosecution witness and questioned Elzaki, who denied all charges. Abdalla Elzain Ragab is to be questioned during the next session. Witnesses were also heard in the cases of Mussa Jahalla Ando, Elrasheed Eloumda Khougali, Elsheikh Ali Elnour, Gomaa Hamid Mansour. All of their cases were once again remanded to the next session, which the Judge scheduled for 24 and 25 June. The detainees are being represented by a team of lawyers from the Sudanese Association for Defending Rights and Freedom (SADRF) in cooperation with Nuba Bar Association (NBA) and individual activist lawyers from Sinar and Blue Nile states. HUDO has appealed to the international diplomatic and humanitarian community to put pressure on the Sudanese government “to conduct a transparent and fair trial” for all detainees. File photo Related: Trials postponed in Blue Nile, Sudan – prosecutors, complainants absent (29 May 2013) Appeal to Sudan government: ‘Fair trial for Blue Nile detainees’ (17 May 2013)

The Human Rights and Development Organisation (HUDO) issued an update on Monday regarding the 85 detainees, who have been held – 79 still without trial – for more than a year in Blue Nile state.

As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, HUDO says that the detainees are part of a group of 113 that have been kept in various prisons in the state. Following heavy fighting between rebel forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) and pro-government militias in Blue Nile state in September 2011, Khartoum dismissed the state governor, replacing him with a military governor who subsequently declared a State of Emergency.

“This gave state security authority to exercise arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killing involving a large number of civilians, accusing them of being affiliated to SPLM-N,” an earlier HUDO statement says.

According to the most recent statement, hearings resumed in Sinja town on 3 and 5 June.

In the case of Musa Jahalla Ando, who was appearing for the third time, the judge heard the police investigator, complainant and the first prosecution witness. It was also the third sitting in the cased of Elsir Aamir Elzaki and Abdalla Elzain Ragab. The judge heard the prosecution witness and questioned Elzaki, who denied all charges. Abdalla Elzain Ragab is to be questioned during the next session.

Witnesses were also heard in the cases of Mussa Jahalla Ando, Elrasheed Eloumda Khougali, Elsheikh Ali Elnour, Gomaa Hamid Mansour. All of their cases were once again remanded to the next session, which the Judge scheduled for 24 and 25 June.

The detainees are being represented by a team of lawyers from the Sudanese Association for Defending Rights and Freedom (SADRF) in cooperation with Nuba Bar Association (NBA) and individual activist lawyers from Sinar and Blue Nile states.

HUDO has appealed to the international diplomatic and humanitarian community to put pressure on the Sudanese government “to conduct a transparent and fair trial” for all detainees.

File photo

Related:

Trials postponed in Blue Nile, Sudan – prosecutors, complainants absent (29 May 2013)

Appeal to Sudan government: ‘Fair trial for Blue Nile detainees’ (17 May 2013)