Sudan security releases three student activists

On Friday, the Sudanese security service released three student activists, after 60 days of detention. Mohamed Salah, Tajelsir Jaafar, and Muamar Musa, were released on Friday, following widespread protests from their families and friends, and one day after the European Union called on the Sudanese authorities to bring the political detainees in Sudan to trial, or release them immediately. Salah said that they had been subjected to all kinds of physical and psychological torture during their initial days of detention. He pointed out that the authorities had forced them to sign a pledge not to engage again in any political activity against the state. The three activists embarked on a hunger strike a week ago, in protest against a renewed detention period of three months. They were detained by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Khartoum on 12 May, against the backdrop of student demonstrations calling for an investigation into the killing of Darfuri student Ali Abakar Musa during a peaceful protest at the University of Khartoum’s main campus on 11 March this year.  File photo: Mohamed with his mother after his release in 2012 (kashkouli.wordpress.com)  Related: Detained student activists on hunger strike in Sudan’s capital (6 July 2014) Call to release political detainees in Sudan (24 June 2014) UN human rights expert voices concerns on Sudan (24 June 2014) ‘Detainees tortured in Sudan’s capital’: relatives (17 June 2014) Students arrested in Khartoum, flogged in Port Sudan (14 May 2014)Sudan security arrests activist Mohamed Salah again (21 March 2014)