Memo to Sudanese government demands Umma party head’s release

Sudan’s national opposition Umma party has submitted a memorandum of protest to the Governor of Khartoum, Abdel Rahman El Khidr demanding the immediate release of the party’s leader El Sadig El Mahdi who has remained in detention since 17 May without conditions. On Wednesday, party supporters organised a sit-in inside the party’s headquarters in Omdurman after the police refused a request by the party to organise a rally and march in protest against the continued detention of El Mahdi. Abu Garja Kantabai, head of the Umma party in Khartoum state, told Radio Dabanga from Omdurman that the memorandum demands the release of El Mahdi and all prisoners of conscience in the country. It also demands the public freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of 2005, and repeal of laws that restrict freedoms, and an urgent and professional investigation of the practices of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias. “The national dialogue which was led by El Mahdi will not be realised unless the state provides for the requirements of dialogue. Also the memorandum indicated that the arrest of El Mahdi represents drawing the attention of public opinion away from the fierce media campaign against corruption by making him a scapegoat for prolonging the life of the regime; a truth which was recognised by the Sudanese people in Khartoum.” El Mahdi’s defence team has accused state security prosecutors of preventing the release of their client by slowing-down the investigation, and obstructing the principle of transparency of the trial by prohibiting publication in the question of his arrest. The head of the defence team, Amin Mekki Medani, reported to a press conference on Tuesday that “the prosecutor refuses to release El Mahdi and slows down the security investigation procedures to lengthen the period of pre-trial detention without judicial decision”. One defence lawyer, Kamal El Jizouli, stated that prosecutor refuses to release his client nor terminate the investigation or transfer the case papers to a competent court, although clearly he is` ready to defend himself. “The issue is clear since Imam El Mahdi, did not deny the alleged testimony, adding that that the decision of keeping him detained has serious errors, and is contrary to the Constitution and the criminal code that prohibits the death sentence for the 70-year-old except in retribution and prohibiting at the same time the imprisonment of 70-year-old except in case of banditry. File photo: Imam El Sadig El Mahdi with his followers in Omdurman (Namaa Faisal) EU call on Sudan to lift press curbs (28 May 2014) Umma party leader demands fair trial in Sudan (27 May 2014) El Mahdi detention in Sudan: US Embassy expresses concern (22 May 2014)