President al-Bashir pardons Sudan’s human rights defender

August 29, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Tuesday granted a pardon to a prominent human rights defender Mudawi Ibrahim Adam who was charged with six offences, some of which are punishable by death.

In a presidential decree released by the official news agency SUNA, al-Bashir ordered to free Mudawi Ibrahim and five other people indicted with him. Also, he directed to “put this decision into effect from the date of its signature on Tuesday.

Last June, Sudan’s state security prosecutor office charged Adam with six offences under the 1991 Penal Code, including espionage and intelligence activities in favour of foreign embassies, undermining the constitutional system and waging war against the state. All of these charges carry either the death penalty or life imprisonment.

However, on 16 August, the court postponed Adam’s trial for the third time due to the absence of one of the five accused who fled to Egypt.

His espouse Sabah Adam expressed her happiness for the release of her husband and regretted his “unjust detention for 9 months without a crime” as she said when reached by Sudan Tribune.

She further said they expect his release on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, but Sudan Tribune can confirm he was released late on Tuesday.

For his part, his lawyer Nabil Adib stressed that “the presidential decree dropped all the charges against his client”.

Adam, an engineering professor at the University of Khartoum and Chair of the non-governmental organisation Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO) was arrested on 7 December 2016 by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).