Victims’ families decry release of South Kordofan murder accused on bail

The families of the victims of incidents in El Senadra and El Shawaya villages in Abbasiya locality in South Kordofan in September 2016 have condemned the release of the defendants after the first trial session on Sunday.

Relatives of the victims told Radio Dabanga from Abbasiya that all the defendants are now free in the market and wearing military uniforms.

They considered the step as a clear provocation to the families of the victims, pointing to the increasing tension and anger among the people of the city.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga Yesterday, Kamal Abdallah, a member of the defence team for the families of the victims, said that the accused being allowed out of prison is a clear violation of the law.

He explained that the accused in murder cases cannot be bailed without the consent of a victim’s relative.

He said the step poses a threat to public security in the area, puts the lives of the accused at risk, and affects the course of the case. He revealed a request made yesterday by the lawyers of the victims’ families to Khartoum North Court to arrest the suspects and imprison them in Kober prison.

Attack

On 2 September, a group of paramilitary Popular Defence Forces (PDF) attacked the villages of El Senadra and El Shawaya in the area of El Abbasiya Tegeli.

Eight people were killed and 16 others were injured in the attack, which drew thousands of people to the hospital of El Abbasiya where they staged a protest against the attacks and the alleged impunity of the government militia.

One of the demonstrators told Radio Dabanga at the time that PDF troops “in two Land Cruisers mounted with Dushka machineguns, and others on about 70 motorcycles” raided the two villages early in the morning. After shooting 24 villagers, they plundered the villages, and set fire to the houses.

He contradicted the version of the locality’s commissioner who said that the attack came from a group of outlaws who were searching for missing livestock.

After repeated pressure from the people in El Abbasiya Tegeli, 15 PDF members were arrested. The trial was referred to Khartoum because of security reasons and fears for retaliation by other militia members.

Defence lawyer Kamal Abdallah told Radio Dabanga on Sunday that the first trial session began at 10 o’clock that morning. “The preliminary hearing however, was not completed because of the absence of the investigator and one of the accused. The guarantor of the latter is supposed to be arrested.”

He added that the judge ordered the defendants not to appear in military uniform in the court during the trial. The next second session has been scheduled for 14 September.