Lawyers seek release of Sudan opposition figure

September 2, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Lawyers have requested the release of a Sudanese opposition politician detained over an alleged coup plot, saying there was no evidence to link him to it, a statement said on Sunday.

Mubarak al-Fadil, head of the Umma Party for Reform and Renewal, his party secretary-general Abdel Jalil al-Basha and the deputy head of the large opposition Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) were among 25 people arrested last month accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

None have been charged.

The legal team’s statement said that following its meeting last week with Fadil “it became clear that there is no legal case against the Umma Party Chairman and this is reflected in the outcome of interrogations.”

It said questioning by both the justice ministry and National Security focused entirely on a meeting between Fadil and retired army general Mohamed Ali Hamid more than a year ago. Hamid is also among those detained.

Hamid was requesting funding for a new political party, which Fadil declined to give.

Fadil told his lawyers there was no discussion of attempts to overthrow the government, or a political or military alliance.

“(Fadil’s) statements … were confirmed by retired army General Mohamed Ali Hamid in a direct confrontation that the legal committee conducted between the two men.

“Our legal team submitted on Thursday 30th August, an application to the legal committee chair, Mr. Yasser Ahmed Mohamed, requesting (Fadil’s) immediate release,” the statement added.

It said the committee confirmed a decision would be made by Sept. 3.

U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Sudan, Sima Samar, has expressed concern at the arrests ahead of elections due in 2009 and urged the government to work with more transparency on the matter.

(Reuters)