Trials of Sudanese arrested during fuel protests include minors: Lawyers

More than 200 people accused of taking part in the September demonstrations against the removal of fuel subsidies are currently on trial in the various courts in Khartoum State. The chairman of the defence team, Sadig Aki Hassan, reported to Radio Dabanga that there are more than 80 minors among the accused. “22 children are being tried in the Central Omdurman Court, 13 in the Dar El Salam Court in Omdurman, seven in the Kalakla Court in Khartoum, along with four others in the Halfaya Court in Khartoum North. The four minors now on trial in Khartoum North are Ahmed Mustafa Mutasim (16), Mohamed Suleiman Mohamed Yahya (16), Maisara Gamar (16) and Ahmed Hassan Ali (17). The defence lawyer stressed that “those children were arrested before the September protests. Their cases were just added to the groups of people arrested during the demonstrations.” The defence team intends to request that the Minister of Justice and the Public Attorney start an investigation into the conduct of the public prosecutors in the Khartoum localities. “The public prosecutors intentionally violate the Sudanese Children’s Act of 2010. The law stipulates that if a minor and an adult have committed a crime together, the minor should be tried separately in a juvenile court. It is not permitted to bring a minor to trial in an adult criminal court.” The defence lawyers’ chairman noted that the team will add to its request to the Minister of Justice that the procedures “currently carried out by the public prosecutors concerning the minors show a lack of knowledge of the law or flaws in execution of their profession. Or they use the law for political purposes”. File photo: Sudanese protesters against the lifting of fuel subsidies, September, 2013 Related: Minors still awaiting trial for Sudan protests (2 January 2013)Young protesters’ trials violate Sudanese Children’s Act: lawyer (17 December 2013)