Khartoum to refer case of jailed opposition leader to court

August 14, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the state security prosecution office Yasir Ahmed Mohamed disclosed that the jailed chief of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) Ibrahim al-Sheikh has been moved to a new prison in West Kordofan after returning from Khartoum where he was admitted into hospital in light of his health’s deterioration.

Al-Sheikh has been held by Sudanese authorities since last June after speaking at a symposium in West Kordofan’s state capital of al-Nuhood in which he denounced the government militia known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and accused its fighters of committing abuses against civilians in conflict zones. He faces charges that could hand him the death penalty if convicted.

The prosecutor said that after completion of the investigation and compiling evidence that establishes the charges against al-Sheikh, he was evacuated to hospital in Khartoum at his request after complaining of health issues.

He noted in statements to state news agency that physicians decided to perform surgery on al-Sheikh but that the latter refused.

The opposition leader has reportedly insisted on picking his medical team stating his concern for his safety if he was to allow doctors selected by authorities to perform surgery on him.

“As any surgery is subject mainly to the desire of the patient, medical authorities decided to discharge him from the hospital and return him to where he came from, so police authorities and prosecutors decided to send him to Fula prison with the same security guards who came with him,” Mohamed said.

Sati’ al-Haj, one of al-Sheikh’s lawyers, expressed deep concern on Wednesday about his client’s situation after being returned to jail without receiving treatment thus putting his life at risk. He held the justice minister, Mohamed Bishara Dosa, responsible for not promptly referring al-Sheikh to court.

He stated that al-Sheikh is being kept at the office of the director of Fula prison due to the lack of cells that that befits his health situation.

But the prosecutor asserted that al-Sheikh’s health condition is now stable and that he will face court within the next two days.

Al-Sheikh reportedly suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, severe colon infection and hemorrhoids requiring urgent surgical intervention.

Al-Haj said he was holding back tears after meeting al-Sheikh in hospital and seeing his poor health situation adding that he looked frail and lost so much of his weight.

He declared that he will send a formal letter of complaint to the attorney-general, Omer Ahmed Mohammed, that the prosecution has become a dishonest adversary after dragging their feet in moving the case to court.

(ST)