Sudan’s Turabi says position unchanged on Bashir and ICC
March 9, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese opposition leader who was recently released from detention said that he is sticking to his position on the International Criminal Court (ICC) which issued an arrest warrant for president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
This week the International Criminal Court (ICC) judges issued an arrest warrant for Bashir on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which include murder, rape and torture. The three-judge panel said it had insufficient grounds for genocide.
Sudan has unexpectedly freed Turabi yesterday from Port Sudan jail, almost two months after detaining him over remarks in which he called on Bashir to surrender himself to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Several PCP officials were also released concurrently. Sudanese officials said the release was after it appeared that Sudanese people have overwhelmingly rallied around Bashir.
Turabi dismissed government claims that the ICC indicted Bashir on political grounds.
“The court does not consist of politicians and diplomats but judges and lawyer. They rule based on evidence…..The allegations are directed against an individual and not the Sudanese government so he should heed to the call of the court” the Islamist leader said
“In case he does not respond given that the court does not have a police force, they will resort to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to enforce the arrest warrant” he added.
The former law professor said that reading the ICC prosecutor’s application requires “a qualified lawyer to refute the allegations [against Bashir]”.
He called on Bashir to turn himself in to the ICC saying “it will improve Sudan’s international relations”.
Turabi said he does not rule out being re-arrested over his ICC remarks.
Yesterday Turabi’s daughter Omama speaking to Sudan Tribune dismissed speculations that Turabi’s release followed a mediation effort by Arab Islamic scholars with Sudanese president Bashir in return for him reversing positions on the issue of the ICC.
Al-Turabi, a former ally of President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, was the government’s ideological mastermind in the 1990s and the De-facto ruler.
However Al-Bashir and Al-Turabi split ranks and the latter was jailed on accusations of conspiracy. He was released in October 2003.
The opposition leader was jailed again for more than a year in 2004 over accusations of connections with an alleged coup plot before being released in 2005.
Officials at the PCP today denied any intention to mend fences with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) without return to political freedoms.
(ST)