Security apparatus prevent opposition figure from competing for Sudan Olympic body
March 4, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese security agents Saturday arrested for several hours an opposition figure, preventing him from running for the election of the national Olympic committee.
The Arab Socialist Baath Party Spokesperson Mohamed Dia was arrested at the premises of the Sudan Olympic Committee where were organised the elections of its executive body.
The vocal opponent was expected to win a seat within the independent association and member of the global Olympic movement.
However, he was released late on Saturday after the election of the new national Olympic committee.He was summoned to come to the security office on Sunday.
Dia had been summoned on Friday to present himself to the security office in Khartoum on Saturday, but he refused to go.
” A little while ago, I got back home where I found security agents waiting for me, they attempted to serve me a summon to present myself to the security offices on Saturday morning. But I refused to take the document,” wrote Diya on his Facebook page on Friday.
“The purpose is to prevent me from running for the election of the National Olympic Committee executive office. Since some time ago, the National Congress Party has incited against my candidature for the Olympic committee. They have no other solution than to arrest me when I head to the General Assembly,” he further wrote.
Diya had been released from jail on 11 January, after a nearly two-month arbitrary detention following opposition calls for a national disobedience campaign.
The general assembly of the Sudan Olympic Committee on Saturday elected a former minister Hisham Haroun as the new president for the next four year period.
(ST)