Jailed Slovene envoy to appeal against verdict
Aug 15, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The defence lawyer of Slovene presidential envoy Tomo Kriznar, Mohammed Madjub, intends to appeal on Wednesday against the verdict which sentences Kriznar to two years in prison in Sudan.
Speaking for TV Slovenija by telephone, Madjub said that the prison sentence was too high given that the Sudanese prosecution had no evidence of Kriznar spying. Kriznar is Slovene President Janez Drnovsek’s envoy to the region of Darfur.
The lawyer, who said Kriznar feels fine after a court of first instance in the capital of North Darfur Al-Fasher pronounced its verdict on Monday, believes that there are good chances the Sudanese authorities would expel Kriznar from the country.
According to Madjub, Kriznar, who has been detained since 20 July, could soon be transferred from a prison in Al Fasher. He believes that stepping up international pressure on the Sudanese authorities could help him get released.
Rights watchdog, Aegis Trust, has called “for all those concerned at Kriznar’s plight, and at the continued lack of international protection for Darfur’s Africans, to apply to the Sudanese embassies in their countries for visas, stating purpose of visit as ?to visit Tomo Kriznar in prison and go to Darfur.”
Kriznar was sentenced for spying, entering Sudan illegally and spreading lies about the Sudanese government and people. Convinced that he is innocent, his lawyer said Kriznar was only doing his job as a photo-reporter and envoy.
When he appeared in court on 1 August, Kriznar admitted to have entered Sudan without a visa because he was denied it, but denied the spying charges. He explained he was one of Drnovsek’s three envoys to monitor the peace process in Darfur.
Upon receiving the news about the verdict, Drnovsek’s office said it expects Kriznar – who has made his name internationally as an advocate of the rights of the Nuba people – to be pardoned.
The Slovenian Foreign Ministry has meanwhile announced its plan to send a Slovene diplomat based in Cairo to Al Fasher as soon as he gets a visa.
Together with German diplomats — Slovenia does not have a diplomatic mission in Sudan — the diplomat would visit Kriznar and monitor the appeal process.
(ST)