JEM warns of ‘accountability’ after followers shackled in Sudan’s Kober prison

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has claimed that the administration of Kober prison in Khartoum has chained two of what it terms “the movement’s war hostages” with shackles to prevent them from movement inside the prison, placed them in solitary confinement, and denied them any visits for three months. JEM spokesman Jibril Adam Bilal told Radio Dabanga on Friday that his movement considers the ruling issued by the deputy director of Kober prison against Abdulaziz Usher and Mohammad Mansour as “unfair”. He explained the decision issued by the security services came after a rigorous inspection of all JEM prisoners in Kober on Wednesday. Bilal said his movement also “condemns and denounces the trial and punishment of prisoners who must be subject to the personal whims of the prison director or his deputy. “This behaviour must come to an end. The security system should be aware that they will one day be subjected to legal accountability,” he warned, appealing to human rights organisations to assess the deteriorating humanitarian situation experienced by prisoners under the rule of the prison director. He also called on them to put pressure on the Khartoum government to release the JEM prisoners from Kober prison. File photo Related: Sudan transfers JEM prisoners to death row: Rebels (17 June 2013)