Trial of protesters begins in Sudan’s Singa

The court hearing of nine people arrested during protests in Singa, capital of Sennar, last week began in the town’s courtroom yesterday. The courthouse was overcrowded: there were tight security and police measures, and vehicles lined up in the courtyard.

Lawyers considered the detentions as a flagrant violation of the law and the constitution.

Lawyer Mohamed Adam of the defence told Radio Dabanga that on Sunday and Wednesday the court's hearing session was be held to continue the complaint filed against the accused by the security services.

He said the security apparatus took the nine suspects to its buildings in Singa just after they left the courtroom.

The lawyer pointed to the arrest by the security apparatus of Yousif El Naeem, the spokesman for the National Umma Party (NUP) in the capital of Sennar, and Abdallah Adam, the NUP deputy head.

In Singa, 13 people were detained on January 31 during a demonstration aimed against the high prices for basic goods following the higher taxes in the country, The detainees include leading members of the Umma Party, the Communist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party.

Charges were filed against them on the counts of rioting and causing public nuisance. A number of them were released after they spent a night in jail.

Abdelmunim Buri Nasri, deputy secretary-general of the NUP, Haidar Abdelhadi, head of the local Communist party, and a man named Gismallah, head of the Unionist party were among the arrested people.

In addition, the National Umma Party reported that Sayed El Nur El Badawi, Yousif Musa Eisa, and Kamal Hassan Abdelrahim were also arrested. Bashir Khalil has disappeared following the protest in Singa without any information about his whereabouts so far.

On Sunday the security authorities of Ed Damazin in Blue Nile state arrested student El Tayeb Juma Arbab of the Blue Nile University after releasing him for only one day.

Students told Radio Dabanga that the security services re-arrested post-graduate student Arbab after he was released on Saturday after more than three weeks of detention.