Sudanese lawyers sue Islamists involved in 1989’s coup
May 9, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – A group of Sudanese lawyers filed a complaint with the Attorney-General against the National Islamic Front (NIF) for organising a coup d’état against the democratic regime in 1989.
The group is headed by well-known lawyer Ali Mahmoud Hassanein and includes Al-Sir al-Hiber, Kamal al-Gizouli and Mohamed al-Hafiz.
According to the petition seen by Sudan Tribune, the case is opened against the NIF, which, was later split into multiple political organizations, for orchestrating a military coup against the democratic regime and carried out by military and civilian members of the NIF on June 30, 1989, led by Brigadier General Omer al-Bashir.
The lawsuit mentions the name of several leaders of the Islamic organization including Ibrahim al-Sanousi, Ali al-Haj, Ghazi Salah al-Din, al-Tayeb Mustafa and others.
These defendants have split from the NIF and now leads or leading members in different political organizations and independent from the al-Bashir’s National Congress Party, but the plaintiffs consider them involved in planning the coup and undermining the constitutional order.
Besides al-Bashir, the lawsuit included Ali Osman Taha, Nafei Ali Nafie and Awad Al Jaz, as well as Salah Gosh, Ali Karti and al-Tayeb Ibrahim Mohamed Khair.
The complaint requested the immediate freeze the assets of the defendants within Sudan and outside of the country.
This is the first legal action against the dignitaries of the former regime. Al-Bashir, Taha and al-Jaz detained by the military council but others like Mustafa who is the uncle of the former president or al-Sanousi or Salah al-Din are not in prison.
The Sudanese Islamists including late Hassan al-Turabi have admitted their responsibility for the coup and even gave the details of their coup which allowed them to rule the country for 30 years.
(ST)