Court dismisses case against Darfuri students

The Court of Public Order in Bahri dismissed a complaint against 20 Darfuri students from the University of El Zaeem El Azhari and ordered their immediate release on Tuesday, a day after they were arrested by the security services.

A gathering was to be held on Monday for a discussion on the current situation in Darfur and the issue of the students who were expelled by the university early April. The students then staged a sit-in to demand the university administration exempt them from tuition fees.

Police fired tear gas, rubber bullets, evacuated the university complex, and arrested 20 Darfuri students, including Saber Abdelrahman, the head of the Darfur Students' Association, and took them to Bahri Wasat police station.

Lawyer Jibril Hasabo told Radio Dabanga that a group of lawyers embarked on defence procedures of the students whom the police charged with rioting and breach of public safety according to the Criminal Code.

“The Court found no grounds to substantiate the charges or secure a conviction, so it issued a decision to dismiss the complaint against them all”, he said.