Sudan’s investigation body into attacks on pro-democracy protesters suspends activities
March 7, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – The investigation commission into the bloody attack on a pro-democracy sit-in in June 2019 suspended its activities on Monday after the capture of its headquarters by the security forces.
Nabil Adeeb, head of the investigation body announced that security forces stormed the headquarters of the commission by the end of last week and allowed civilian workers to carry out maintenance work inside the building.
He added that the security forces ordered the guards to evacuate their section and handed it to the Political Parties Affairs Committee.
Also, they prevented the commission’s staff members from entering the building or retrieving any equipment belonging to the investigation body.
Based on these developments, Adeeb announced the suspension of their activities until the evacuation of the headquarters. Also, he stressed that they demand to verify that the commission’s documents were not tampered with.
In addition, they request “a security check of the headquarters to make sure that there are no equipment or tools that can be used to reveal the secrets of the investigation”.
Earlier, this month the human rights lawyer revealed that the finance ministry had requested them to give a floor of their building to the political parties affairs committee.
But, the ministry understood that the confidential nature of their investigation activity requires that the premises should not be shared with other institutions, he said at the time.
“We have rejected their request on the grounds that our work is confidential, and that no one can be with us,” he said.
The former prime minister named a commission on October 21, 2019, to investigate a raid on a sit-in on June 3, 2019. in which security forces killed dozens of pro-democracy protesters.
The commission has broad powers to summon witnesses, including officials, and has access to official documents, security reports and medical records to investigate the raid.
The committee, also, has collected important documents and videos showing the officers who commanded the security forces.
The coup leaders are among those who are suspected of planning and ordering the attack.
(ST)