Sudan rights group demands release of doctor arrested by security forces

July 5, 2025 (AL-MEILIQ) – A Sudanese rights group on Saturday demanded the immediate release of a doctor arrested this week in Al Jazira state by a joint security force comprised of the army, police and intelligence services.

The Emergency Lawyers group, which provides legal aid to victims of state violence, said in a statement that Mohammed Talab was arrested on July 2 in Al-Meiliq without a warrant.

“We condemn the arbitrary arrests and demand the immediate release of the doctor and accountability for those involved in his detention without legal justification,” the group said.

The statement added that Talab has been denied his legal rights, including access to his family and a lawyer, which it called a clear violation of national and international law.

According to the group, the practitioner had previously been arrested twice by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) while they controlled Al Jazira state. The Sudanese army recaptured the state earlier this year after the RSF had held it for about a year, a period during which widespread abuses were reported.

The Emergency Lawyers group said it holds the authorities who arrested the doctor responsible for his physical and psychological safety.

The arrest is “part of a systematic and repeated behaviour targeting professionals and civilian volunteers,” the statement said, calling such practices a grave violation of constitutional rights.

Since conflict broke out in Sudan in April 2023, volunteers and activists have faced arrests and abuses from all sides, particularly those advocating for a peaceful resolution.