Detained Sudanese Congress Party member ‘tortured’

One of the two members of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) detained by security agents in Kerima, Northern state, on Thursday, has been released. He was reportedly tortured.

The party’s spokesman, Bakri Yousef, told Radio Dabanga on Friday that members of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) took Raafat Abdelghaffar and Ibrahim Hassan to the security office in Kerima following a public speech in the town in which the current political situation was criticised.

“Abdelghaffar was released today. He had been beaten and tortured. Hassan is still being held.”

Yousef added that SCP Political Affairs Deputy Chairman Mastour Ahmed and two other party members, detained by security officers in Omdurman, the sister-city of Khartoum, on Tuesday, are also still being held. They were detained after participating in a mass activity at Soug Libya.

He reported that criminal charges have been filed against them, related to disturbance of the public order. “The authorities refused to release them on bail, and have extended their detention for three more days.”