Darfur rebel group warns against executing one of its commanders

April 26, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has warned the Sudanese government against the consequences of carrying out the death sentence issued against its leading figure El-Tom Hamid Tutu since five years ago.

Tutu was held captive by the Sudanese army during a joint attack launched by the JEM and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) against army position in Al-Tayes area in South Kordofan.

On 28 August 2011, the Kadougli general court sentenced Tutu to death by hanging and the ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court in March 2012.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, JEM spokesperson Gibril Adam Bilal said the proceedings of the execution of the death penalty have already begun on Tuesday morning at the maximum-security Kober prison in Khartoum.

“The Kober prison administration transferred on Tuesday morning JEM’s leading figure and prisoner of war El-Tom Hamid Tutu from the death cells to the death arena following the recitation of the death sentence in preparation for its implementation” read the statement

Bilal called on the rights groups to urgently intervene to prevent the execution of the death sentence against Tutu and the rest of the movement’s hostages and to seek to secure their release.

He denounced the government move and described it as an arbitrary ruling against a prisoner of war.

The statement further expressed JEM’s full readiness to defend its prisoners by all possible and not possible means.

“JEM reminds the government that the execution of the prisoners of war wouldn’t be tolerated as other kinds of crimes [committed by the government] and we won’t respond at a later time [but immediately]” Bilal said.

Tutu was handed the death sentence after he was found guilty under articles (50), (51), (60) and (62) of the 1991 Criminal Code relating to waging war against the state, undermining the constitutional order and wearing military uniform.

(ST)