Sudanīs Justice is Called a Sham But Are We Really Surprised?
Kobina Wright
August 18, 2008
According to Amnesty International, students, lawyers and journalists are among the 150 or so people who remain unaccounted for after a rebel attack back in May near the capital of Khartoum. Amnesty Internationalīs deputy director for Africa, Tawanda Hondora, is calling Sudanīs special "anti-terror" courts a "travesty of justice", after eight alleged Darfur rebels were sentenced to die.
An AI spokesperson stated that many of those arrested were held incommunicado at national security facilities and suffered torture. Some of the 109 who are being sentenced, only met their lawyers for the first time during the trial.
BBC News reported that more than 220 people were killed in the attack on Omdurman, Khartoumīs twin city. This was the first time rebels had gotten so close to the capital. In response, the government reacted with a security crackdown and mass arrests, according to the report and during the crackdown, there were reports of summary executions.
The government had previously promised that anyone arrested for the attack would receive a fair military trial. Thirty eight people have been sentenced to death so far, including senior Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) official, Abd-al-Aziz Nur Ushar.
JEM is one of several rebel groups fighting against the government and pro-government Janjaweed militia in Sudanīs western Darfur region over discrimination by the government in favor of Arabs. It is estimated that about 400,000 people have died in the Darfur conflict and 2 million people have been displaced.
Those being held without charge or access to lawyers included women and a 9-month- old boy.
http://kobina.blogspot.com
An AI spokesperson stated that many of those arrested were held incommunicado at national security facilities and suffered torture. Some of the 109 who are being sentenced, only met their lawyers for the first time during the trial.
BBC News reported that more than 220 people were killed in the attack on Omdurman, Khartoumīs twin city. This was the first time rebels had gotten so close to the capital. In response, the government reacted with a security crackdown and mass arrests, according to the report and during the crackdown, there were reports of summary executions.
The government had previously promised that anyone arrested for the attack would receive a fair military trial. Thirty eight people have been sentenced to death so far, including senior Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) official, Abd-al-Aziz Nur Ushar.
JEM is one of several rebel groups fighting against the government and pro-government Janjaweed militia in Sudanīs western Darfur region over discrimination by the government in favor of Arabs. It is estimated that about 400,000 people have died in the Darfur conflict and 2 million people have been displaced.
Those being held without charge or access to lawyers included women and a 9-month- old boy.
http://kobina.blogspot.com