Sudan Uprising: Families of detainees hold sit-in

The National Intelligence and Securitate Service (NISS) has prevented relatives from visiting detainees, some of whom are living in ‘dire’ conditions and suffering from lack of healthcare.

An unannounced sit-in was held on Saturday by families of people who have been detained in connection with ongoing protests in Sudan calling for President Omar Al Bashir and his government to “Just fall, that’s all”. 

The group of 200 to 250 people of detainees sat in the reception of the offices of the NISS in Khartoum on Saturday at noon. An attendee of the event, Lawyer Amal El Zein said, "The sit-in was not announced, but came because of the pressure and suffering that the families are subjected as they have been detained for more than three months without charge or investigation".

El Zein explained that the families have not been allowed to visit their detained family members, who are concerned about a lack of treatment of health conditions and the reportedly poor environment inside the detention centres.

According to the lawyer, there is potentially a possibility to provide visits every two weeks.

She pointed out that NISS officers would not permit them to leave until they had registered their names. A large number of security personnel equipped with weapons and batons was stationed there, along with a large number of vehicles belonging to the apparatus abroad.

The family of Mohamed Diaeldin, spokesman for the Baath Party, expressed concern about the conditions of his detention and pointed to his urgent need for rest and treatment.

The family said in a statement that the NISS keeps their son detained, despite all documents and medical reports that prove the need to complete treatment and continue his check-up with doctors after a hospital stay outside the country in Cairo.

In a statement, the family said that they are in the process of “taking legal and legitimate steps” to hold the regime to account.

Demonstrations

On Sunday, demonstrations for “the March of Social Justice” announced by the signatories to the Declaration of Freedom and Change in Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Omdurman took place amid chants of “Freedom, peace, justice and revolution”.

Several districts of the capital, including Wad Nubawi and El Busta in Omdurman, Shambat in Khartoum North, El Soug El Arabi and El Shajara in Khartoum witnessed demonstrations calling for the immediate removal of President Al Bashir and his regime from power. 

The police and security forces attempted to quell demonstrations with excessive violence, including the use of electric tazers, batons, and tear gas. They arrested dozens of people, and immediately tried them before emergency courts.