Lawyer turns-down invitation by Sudan parliamentary committee amid concerns for health of detainees

Prominent Sudanese lawyer Muez Hadra has announced that he has refused to accept an invitation from one of the parliamentary committees to attend a workshop on amendments to the Criminal Procedures Act held in solidarity with more than 88 political prisoners of the security apparatus on Tuesday.

Hadra told Radio Dabanga that he refused to accept the invitation after reviewing the Criminal Procedures Act, which guarantees the rights of the detainees, pointing out that the authorities do not apply the current law and considered the amendment to be useless.

He explained that the Parliament does not represent the people of Sudan nor does it feel their suffering, citing that it approved a large increase in the budget without hesitation.

Health concerns

The Constitutional Court has rejected the request for the release of Omar El Digeir, the president of the Sudanese Congress Party and lawyer Mohamed El Hafiz, for the purpose of seeing their doctors after the deterioration of their health conditions.

A statement issued by the Sudanese Congress Party said that the party has already announced the availability of reliable information about the deterioration of the health situation of the detainee Omar El Digeir for his eye infection, also lawyer Mohamed El Hafiz is suffering from diabetes.

The deputy media secretary of the Sudanese Congress Party, Noureldin Babikir, said it was not surprising to reject the request if the arrest of El Digeir himself is unconstitutional and has nothing to do even with the Security Act after the expiration of the 15-day detention period and the 30-day renewal period.

He explained that the party is waiting for a decision in a number of constitutional appeals filed to the Constitutional Court table against the security apparatus.