Update (1) COURT TRIAL OF AL SANADRA CASE

HUDO Centre
20th September 2017
                                                                               Update (1) COURT TRIAL OF AL-SANADRA CASE

The second (2nd) court session was conducted on 14th September 2017 before Justice/ Abdeen Hamad Dhahi at Khartoum North court and all parties were present except one defendant. During this session the general public attended in big numbers. Summary of the second (2nd) court session On 14th September 2017, the second (2nd) court session started at 12:45pm before Justice Abdeen Hamad Dhahi. It was attended by the prosecutor Mr. Mohamed Alsafi, the victims’ lawyers (accusation panel) headed by Mr. Baroud, the defendants’ lawyers headed by Mr. Amir, the military’s legal consultant, the defendants and the general public including activists. The session was scheduled to start with the investigator presenting the case but the judge adjourned the session. He adjourned because the defendants had come to court in military uniform which was against his previous order and that his valid order for defendants to be confined at the military prison in Khartoum was not complied with. The judge gave validation for the previous order as;
· Khartoum north court will write to the military court that they did not implement the court order and the same order will be repeated.
· Instructed the court secretary to issue order letter to Al-Abbasiya military to confine/detain the defendants in their premises up to the time of their transfer to the military prison in Khartoum. The letter should be given to the head commandant (First lieutenant) of the defendants’ guards to deliver it to Al-Abbasiya military.
· In the next court session, the defendants must come dressed in civilian clothes. The victims’ Lawyer Mr. Baroud reminded the judge that, one of the defendants (the underage) who joined in this session is standing without a lawyer. The judge replied that “he will write to the legal aid department at the ministry of justice to offer him a legal support”. The judge adjourned court to 3rd and 4th October 2017. That after 4th October 2017, court sessions will be held every Wednesday.

Notes;
· More than twenty lawyers were present and most of them joined the accusation panel.
· The military legal consultant by names of Yasir Abdelwakeel attended in defense of two military soldiers who were reinforcement (seconded) to PDF by the military during the incident.
· The general public attended in big numbers that the space in the court room could not accommodate them all.

HUDO Centre
Recommendation HUDO urges all the concerned, especially:
§ The Sudan court to conduct the trial fairly.
§ The diplomatic missions and embassies to observe the court sessions.
§ The activists and defendants’ supporters to keep attending the court sessions.
§ The Sudan and international media to give full coverage for the court.

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