Families call on U.S. Congress delegation to press Sudan for special courts
January 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – The Families of the Martyrs of the December Revolution (FMDR) called on the visiting U.S. Congress delegation to press the transitional government to form special courts to try those responsible for the victims’ death.
Karen Bass Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, and three other Congresswomen – Barbara Lee, Dan Kildee and Pramila Jayapal- are visiting Sudan nowadays to assess the political situation in the country after the revolution.
The FMDR’s social affairs official, Khaled Abdel Rahman, told Sudan Tribune, on Sunday, that the organization requested the congressional delegation, which met them with representatives of the American embassy in Khartoum, to pressure the transitional government to form special courts for the killings that occurred during the protests.
Abd al-Rahman stated that the organization had informed Congress members that since the beginning of December 2018, the number of the revolution’s dead had reached 290, including 15 children.
In a message to the FMDR’s members, seen by Sudan Tribune, Farah Abbas Farah, the organization’s Chairman said that during the meeting with the congressional delegation, the organization requested the special courts, which was previously presented in letters to the head of the Sovereign Council, the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice on 3 December.
He pointed out that they have not yet received a response from the government senior officials.
Farah called for the lifting of immunities for members of the regular forces involved in the killing of protesters during the revolution.
He demanded the implementation of the witness protection programme, protect evidence from destruction, the formation of technical teams to search for weapons used in the killing of martyrs and to analyze data on cases of human rights violations that took place during the revolution.
The Prime Minister formed an investigation committee headed by Nabil Adeeb to probe the violations that occurred during the attack of the security forces on the pro-democracy sit-in.
According to prodemocracy doctors group, around 200 protesters were killed outside the army headquarters in Khartoum on June 3, while the Ministry of Health says the number of dead does not exceed 85 dead.
(ST)