Sudanese security arrests head of doctors’ committee

April 23, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) Sunday has arrested the chairman of the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) Mohamed Yassen.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the CCSD said its chairman was taken to the state security prosecution office in Khartoum as part of a series of moves targeting members of the executive committee.

It is noteworthy that the state security prosecution office on Thursday summoned and arrested the former chairman CCSD Hassan Karrar and accused him of harming the health security by forming an illegal body.

According to the statement, the state security prosecution office continues to detain Karrar for the third consecutive day.

CCSD is an independent doctors association that was formed during the doctors’ strike in October 2016 as a parallel body to the pro-government Sudanese Doctors Union (SDU).

The Sudanese doctors in October 2016 went on a two-month intermittent strike and refused non-emergency treatments to patients to protest the poor working conditions, lack of medicines and lack of doctors protection after increasing attacks by frustrated patients and their families.

(ST)