Khartoum court delays ruling in case of student accused of murdering police officer

July 26, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese court Wednesday has delayed its ruling on the case of Asim Omer who is charged with the murder of a police officer during student protests last year.

Omer, 21 years, is a student at the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, University of Khartoum, he was arrested by the Sudanese security service and accused of killing a police officer who died after a hit by a Molotov cocktail during the protests in Khartoum in April 2016.

The student denies the charges claiming he was present at the area where the policeman was hit but the trial continues and the prosecution maintains the charge as the Khartoum North Criminal Court was expected to announce the verdict on Wednesday.

“However, the judge Abdin Hamad Dahi announced that the court decided to hear new witnesses delaying any verdict in the trial until the next month.

The court has postponed its final judgment in the case, to hear the testimony of the official who verified the defendant’s identity and interrogated him, and then it will make its decision,” said the judge adding that the court will hear the security official on August 2.

Hundreds of students and members of the opposition parties particularly the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) as well as diplomats based in Khartoum attended the court session.

Omer is a member of the Conference of Independent Students (CIS), the SCoP student arm.

(ST)