Witness protection in Sudan

The Judicial Authority in Khartoum has published a circular outlining the measures that it can take to protect witnesses and experts who testify in courts. The Resistance Committees Coordination active in the neighbourhoods of eastern Khartoum have welcomed the new measures.

The activists described the new witness protection regulations as “an important step in preserving rights, responding to grievances, and achieving justice”. According to the circular, the protection can be extended to relatives and other persons related to the witnesses. The circular is signed by Chief Justice Nemat Abdallah Kheir.

Among the measures that courts can take to protect people testifying are concealing their identity, not disclosing information about them, and not allowing them to be photographed, both inside and outside the courtroom. They can also prohibit use of phones and cameras in court, except for authorized media.

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