‘Students beaten and humiliated in prison’: lawyers, North Darfur

The eighteen students of the University of El Fasher who were arrested during their anti-election protests this week were subjected to torture, according to their lawyers. One of them is a minor. Three other university students were detained in East Jebel Marra.

One of their lawyers told Radio Dabanga on Friday that the students were transferred from the cells at the national security service's office to Shala prison and the police station east of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

“They are in bad psychological conditions, and subjected to torture and cruel treatment,” they claimed, after visiting the detainees in Shala prison yesterday. “We've seen signs of torture and beatings on the students […] Police have cut their hair, as a kind of humiliation.”

Among the students is a 17-year-old, the lawyers revealed. Being underaged, the team of lawyers applied to have him transferred to the juvenile correctional facility. But the prosecutor told the lawyers that he would not respond to this request until Sunday.

The eighteen students face criminal charges which are punishable by death, namely undermining the constitutional order, rioting, and sabotage, after they joined protests against the election in Sudan. A large crowd marched alongside the university faculties on Tuesday and Wednesday, chanting slogans like “Down, down with the military regime” and “Leave, leave, you serial killer”, one of the students told Radio Dabanga. They were met with tear gas and batons by security and police forces.

Three students detained in Fanga

In a seemingly unrelated event, three university students were detained by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Fanga, East Jebel Marra, and taken to the headquarters today. At the moment it is unknown what the students are charged with.

One of their parents reported to Radio Dabanga that members of the RSF halted the students on their way back to the University of El Fasher on Friday morning. “They had paid a visit to their relatives in the area south of Fanga, Uro.

“The RSF members then transferred them to their local headquarters.” The students are Necmettin Isag Adam, Hamid Yousif Adam, and Yagoub Omar Saleh.

The father feared that the students will be badly treated during their detention. He appealed to human rights organisations to intervene and help releasing the detainees immediately.