Lawyers say ‘evidence flawed’, Sudan court releases activist Tupac

Activist Mohamed Adam, known by the moniker ‘Tupac’ and previously charged with the killing of a police officer last year, was released by authorities in Atbara yesterday.

This development comes just two days after the prosecutor opted to halt the case, prompted by the retraction of a key piece of evidence involving a ‘written communication’ implicating Adam. His defence team strongly refuted this evidence, asserting its inadmissibility and “lack of legal foundation”.

Ahead of his release, Tupac’s defence team issued a statement highlighting a series of grave violations and legal infractions attributed to the Criminal Investigation Police (CIP). They underscored the fact that “Tupac had been held in custody since August 13 without legitimate justification or proper legal procedures”.

Radio Dabanga reported last week that Adam was “shackled and bleeding” when he was transported from Atbara to a prison in Ed Damer, capital of River Nile state in northern Sudan.

They also raised concerns over the systematic torture against Tupac, alongside the CIP’s extension of his detention, a move that exceeded the lawful duration defined by the legal system. His lawyers previously stated that he was tortured into giving a false confession and “was suspended from his feet, subjected to continuous beatings, and deprived of water”.

Tupac’s defence team called on the need for accountability in light of these actions and questioned the veracity of the accusations leveled against Tupac, terming them as “falsehoods”.

Reports state that the accused’s mother Nidal Suleiman awaited his release outside the police precinct, and was keen to be reunited with her son, hoping to resume her life and care for her other children who are in Wad Madani.

Tupac’s initial arrest was tied to his escape following his release from El Huda prison in Omdurman, a part of the broader release of prisoners that occurred on April 22, when men wearing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) uniforms launched attacks on several prisons. This incident, which resulted in thousands of prisoners being freed, occurred ten days after the start of the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF.

It is noteworthy that Tupac had conveyed his willingness to appear before the authorities once the situation stabilised and legal proceedings were able to resume.

Prior to the eruption of conflict, Tupac was engaged in trial proceedings alongside Mohamed El Fateh, concerning their alleged part in the murder of Brig Ali Bereima during demonstrations in Khartoum on the morning of January 13 in 2022.

Many have voiced a contradictory narrative, stating that the policeman was killed in the early morning of January 13, while “demonstrations started much later that day”.

The case remains emblematic of the complex legal landscape unfolding in Sudan amidst the ongoing war.