Sudanese opposition protests at UN headquarters to demand release of detainees
October 3, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Several Sudanese opposition forces on Tuesday have protested near the United Nations headquarters in Khartoum in solidarity with the political detainees and the college student who was recently sentenced to death.
Last month, a court in Khartoum sentenced Asim Omer, 21 years, to death by hanging for the alleged killing a policeman during protests last year.
Omer is a student at the University of Khartoum (UofK) and member of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP), 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 student protests in April 2016.
On Tuesday, a number of forces including the opposition umbrella National Consensus Forces (NCF), SCoP, Sudanese Ba’ath Party (SBP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) protested against the detention of political activists and the death sentence against Omer.
The protesters, who stood near the UN headquarters in Khartoum, chanted freedom slogans and held banners demanding the release of all political prisoners.
The opposition forces also issued a joint statement calling to drop the death sentence against Omer and release of political detainees.
SCoP MEMBER DETAINED
Meanwhile, the SCoP said the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) detained the head of its chapter in the locality of Karrari, Khartoum in the early hours of Tuesday.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the SCoP said a heavily armed force stormed the house of Tariq Mansour al-Hibir, 32 years, and took him to an undisclosed location without informing his family of the reasons for his arrest.
It added the move was carried out without legal justification and without regard to the sanctity of the houses, saying the NISS officers had beaten a number of al-Hibir’s family members.
The SCoP also pointed out to the continued detention of its member Nabil al-Nuwairi, calling to exert more efforts to overthrow the regime and achieve the desired change.
The SCoP was established in January 1986. It was first chaired by the former chief-justice Abdel-Mageed Imam who was succeeded by Ibrahim al-Skeikh and has recently elected al-Digair as its third president.
The centre-left reformist party calls for social justice and separation of religion and state. It also believes that peaceful transfer of power is the only way to stability and unity of the country.
In recent months, the SCoP has challenged the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and organized political activities in public and open places calling on the citizens to resist the regime and take to the streets in protest against the deterioration of living conditions at all levels.
(ST)