Lawyers, politicians demand release of Darfuris detained since October

A group of lawyers and political leaders asked the authorities to release detainees from Darfur who were arrested in late October — or to give them fair trials Among the most prominent detainees are the lawyer Abdelrahman Al Gasim, a member of Darfur lawyers association, and Abdelrahman Adam Abdelrahman, an editor for Radio Dabanga, as well as Jaafar Sabki, editor of Al Sahafa, among others. The leader of the national consensus forces, Farouk Abu Eissa, spoke at an event on behalf of the detainees, describing their detention in prisons as an immoral act. Abu Issa said that the government refuses to allow the detainees access to lawyers, and he demanded that the government disclose the whereabouts of the detainees and release them immediately. The venue for the event was Ajras Al Hurriya newspaper, and it event was organized by the Darfur Bar Association. The defense lawyer for the Darfuri prisoners, Mustafa Abdelgader, pleaded for the release of all detainees or for a fair trial by a judge. He stressed that the issue is of concern to all Sudanese, not the people of Darfur alone. Mustafa Abdelgader also disclosed that more than 30 lawyers have volunteered to defend the detainees. Yasir Arman, Deputy Secretary-General of the SPLM and Political Bureau member, said the authorities need to investigate the events that erupted in Zalingei last Wednesday, and to bring the perpetrators to account. Arman emphasized the importance of the release of the Darfuri detainees, journalists and activists, and the need to reopen the newspaper Rai Al Shaab. He pledged to refer all the complaints to the First Vice President of the Republic, SPLM Chairman Salva Kiir.