Sudan releases JEM leader after 7 years

The Vice-President of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Ibrahim El Maaz Deng, has been released from Khartoum's infamous Kober prison after seven years detention. 

Deng and six colleagues were captured in West Darfur in 2010. They were charged under the criminal and anti-terrorism law and tried in Khartoum in 2011 by a special court called Court of Terrorism Act No.1 – a process the JEM branded as unfair.

JEM head Dr Jibril Ibrahim, the head of the Justice and Equality Movement, welcomed the release of Deng. He told Radio Dabanga that it is “a step in the right direction, although the decision is too late.

He explained that the authorities were arguing that technically, Deng belongs to a foreign country and that there was no need to continue to detain him after the secession of South Sudan.

Ibrahim added that he hopes the remaining hostages and prisoners would be released in order to prepare for a positive step in the political reality, and called for the release of all hostages and prisoners so as to create a climate for a positive step and ease tension in the political climate.