Sudan says there are three options to release Slovene envoy

Aug 25, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese minister said he has been contacted by a Slovene government official to release presidential Slovene envoy jailed in Sudan’s Darfur region, he further indicated that there are three options to release him.

In a press conference held Thursday in Khartoum, the minister of Justice Ali al-Mardi said he was contacted by the Slovene of communications over the release of the Slovene envoy to Darfur, Tomo Kriznar.

Sudanese court has sentenced Slovene president’s special envoy to two years jail for spying and entering the country illegally.

Al-Mardi told the press that there three options to free Kriznar: to file an appeal, to demand pardon or to be acquitted by a Presidential grace. He further indicated that when the demand is submitted to the president he will just have an advisory role, especially in the case of the presidential grace.

Slovene newspaper Delo, reported that the Slovene president Janez Drnovsek’s will visit Sudan to ask for the release of Tomo kriznar. Drnovsek months ago was invited by by his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir.

The Slovene president foreign policy adviser, Ivo Vajgl confirmed that Hamdija Blekic, who was authorized by the president to deal with Kriznar’s release, handed over at the Sudanese President’s Office Drnovsek’s second letter for Sudan’s President al-Bashir on the Kriznar case. According to Vajgl, the letter “concerns Drnovsek’s efforts of peace and to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur, and the humanitarian assistance to this western region in Sudan, in the context of which was also Kriznar’s cooperation with the Slovene president.”

Drnovsek has informed the Sudanese authorities that “Kriznar’s only task was within the framework of the peace process, therefore he is asking the Sudanese authorities to consider Kriznar a friend and allow him to return home as soon as possible”. Moreover, he is urging al-Bashir to do everything necessary to end the legal action and to pardon Kriznar, Vajgl explained.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Foreign Ministry Dimitrij Rupel is also willing to meet the Sudanese authorities if the meeting directly contributed to the resolution of the issue

(ST)