Lawyers appeal to Sudan government not to renew Turabi’s detention

KHARTOUM, Aug 14 (AFP) — A group of lawyers appealed Thursday to the Sudanese government not to renew the detention of Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi for a third year.

“The arrest of Sheikh Dr. Hassan al-Turabi is politically motivated, as no legal justification has been offered throughout the period of his detention,” said a statement issued by Turabi’s defence council.

Turabi’s arrest in February 2001 capped a power struggle with President Omar al-Beshir, who dismissed the Islamist ideologue from his powerful post of parliamentary speaker in December 1999.

On August 15, 2001, the authorities decided to keep Turabi in jail under an emergency law that allows them to detain people without pressing charges for a renewable period of one year.

The lawyers’ appeal came as Turabi’s second year of detention under this law ends Friday.