Sudan’s Republican Party pushes for its ban to be lifted
January 18, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Supporters of the banned Republican Party, whose founder was hanged by former President Jaafar Nimeiry, Monday managed to dodge tight security and hand the Justice Minister a memo asking for the party’s ban to be lifted .
The party is officially banned from political activity upon a decision by the Political Parties Affairs Council for what the council said ”violations related to the principles of Islamic faith , social peace and the basics of democratic activity.”
The party members assembled , males and females, at the doorstep of the Ministry of Justice, defying police and security orders to disperse.
When the ministry’s authorities refused to receive the memo, Asma urged the protesters to keep calm and sit on the ground to show that the protest is peaceful.
Asma also disobeyed the police officers’ orders to leave , insisting that they should first deliver the memo to the Minister. After sometime , the minister received the memo and the protesters left the place peacefully.
Nimeiry had executed Taha in 1995, after the latter had criticized the application of Islamic Shari’a law in the country.
Asma’ considers the execution of her father “one of the gravest crimes against free thought.’’
The memo has demanded from the Minister of Justice to avail the party’s adherents the right of expression and organization at both political and cultural levels.
Also, the memo called for the abolition of article 126 of Sudan’s Penal Code of 1991 that provides for the death penalty for any person found guilty of apostasy.
This article “contradicts the texts of the Koran, the constitution and international laws and conventions,” it said.
The memo further pointed that the Supreme Court in its rule of 18 November 1986 overturned the death sentence for apostasy and rehabilitated the founder of the Republican brotherhood.
Several months after his execution, the regime of the President Nimeiry collapsed in April 1985. So, his followers petitioned the Supreme Court for Taha’s rehabilitation in October of the same year .
(ST)