Demonstrators fined for protesting against Sudanese regime

The Emergency Court of El Gedaref fined two people on Sunday following their participation in a demonstration, leading to the detention of people protesting inside the court.

Hashim Basiouni and Yasin El Jak were given a fine of SDG 10,000 ($210) yesterday by the Emergency Courts set up under President Al Bashir’s declaration of a year-long State of Emergency in Sudan. They were told that if they were not able to pay the individual fines, they would face six months of imprisonment.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that the court, set up in the city's court complex, sentenced Basiouni and El Jak on the grounds that they had participated in a demonstration which took place last week. The sum was paid immediately and the court overturned the conviction.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that when the verdict was given, onlookers inside the court began to chant.

The National Intelligence and Security Service then arrested five of the chanting people inside the court on the grounds that they had participated in a previous demonstration and took them to the security offices in the city. They are still being held.

The State of Emergency in Sudan coincided with the dissolution of the federal government and state governments on February 22. The declaration, as well as consequent restrictive Emergency Orders, have been met with widespread national and international concern and condemnation.

* As effective foreign exchange rates can vary widely in Sudan, Radio Dabanga bases all SDG currency conversions on the Market Makers Mechanism-determined daily US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS).