HUDO Centre
27th February 2018
Update (13)
COURT TRIAL OF AL-SANADRA CASE
The court sessions were held on 14th and 21st February 2018 at Khartoum North
court before Justice/ Abdeen Hamid Dhahi, all parties were present. The next
court session is scheduled for 28 th February 2018. Summary of the court
session held on 14th Feb 2018 The session started by 11:45 am (Sudan local
time) and the activity in this session was to hear the testimony of the
seventeenth (17th ) accusing witness by names of; Altahir Mansour Gaily, 66
years old and a resident of Al-Abbasiya town. He is one of Tagali senior
Ommdas/ Mayors and Al-Sanadra is under his territory/ authority. Altahir
Mansour Gaily was cross-examined by the prosecutor and lawyers from both panels.
In his testimony, he informed court that he received a phone call from the
governor/ Daoud Abu-Kalam informing him that he should be at his office for an
emergency meeting. The governor had also sent him a car which he used together
with the Al-Abbasiya Ommda/ Adam Omer Ismail to go to the meeting venue.
· The witness also informed
court that, the governor told him that the meeting was about the looted cattle.
Later on, when he was back from the meeting, he received a phone call from
Aljailey Adam Alawad (the third accusing witness) informing him that, they are
bringing five dead bodies to Al-Abbasiya hospital. It is at that moment that he
got to know about Al-Sanadra attack. That he inquired about the phone caller
and without delay, he went and saw the dead bodies at the hospital.
· That, the following
people were in the meeting; the governor/ Daoud Abu-Kalam, Al-Abbasiya’s army
commandant/ Colonel Elrasheed, the PDF leader/ Mohammed Al-Sharif, Ommda/ Adam
Omer and other community leaders. The other three people who joined after his
arrival are; the state’s Member of Parliament/ Gaidoum Moalla, defendants
Abakar Fadelmowla and Hamid Almanzol.
HUDO Centre
· Defendant/ Abakar
Fadelmowla had attended the meeting dressed in PDF uniform and that he told the
Governor that “now we are in the rebel’s camp we need support”.
· The witness was not aware
of anybody that was killed between Al-Sanadra and Shawaya villages.
· The government order
prohibiting animal grazing west Al-Abbasiya where Al-Sanadra is located is
still on (implemented)
· I don’t know anyone in
Al-Sanadra who is a soldier or member of PDF yet, I know all people there
either by name or face.
· No one reported to me
that, there were some cattle which were looted.
· The Army General/
Elrasheed ordered the PDF commander/ Mohammed AL-Sharif to evacuate/withdraw
his soldiers (without saying from where). Immediately after the order, the PDF
commander with about ten (10) PDF soldiers including Adam Khamees left in two
vehicles (one of them had a machine gun mounted on). Towards the end of the
court session, the defendants’ lawyers requested the judge to issue an
attendance order (court summons) for the following people to be present in the
next session.
Ø Captain/ Ali Abakar, the
PDF leader in Al-Abbasiya.
Ø Dr. Saale Ibrahim, the
orthopedic surgeon in Um-Rawaba hospital.
Ø Police first lieutenant/
Elsir Musaad the criminal investigations officer in Um-Rawaba
police office
Ø Al-Abbasiya’s former
locality governor/ Daoud Abu-Kalam At the end, the judge
adjournment court
to 21st February 2018 at 11:00AM.
Summary of the court session held on 21st Feb 2018
The session started by 11:00 AM (Sudan local time) and it was scheduled to hear
more testimonies from other accusing witnesses as requested by the panel of the
accusing lawyer in the previous court session. The panel of the accusing
lawyers closed the submission of their witnesses (record) and the judge
acknowledged. During the same session, the judge began questioning the
defendants.
Below is the summary;
1. Hassan Ismail Ramadan
·
My name is Hussein not Hassan and I’m 15 years old. I have nothing to do with
sheep issues. Those are concerned with another person who ran away and I do not
know him. HUDO Centre ·
What was given in the investigation sheet are not my words.
2. Ahmed Jazim
·
I’m a SAF soldier (Lance Corporal No. 2202200214) in South Kordufan (SK)
western region seconded with other thirteen soldiers to Popular Defense force
(PDF) Al[1]Abbasiya. I’m a
machine gun shooter.
·
On Friday 2 nd September 2016 at 11:00 AM, I was ordered by my chief/ Asim
Salim in Al-Abbasiya for a mission. We had used two vehicles and in both there
were machine guns mounted on. The vehicle in which I moved were other soldiers
like; Captain/ Ali Abkar Khairat and Lieutenant/ Haitham, but the vehicles
didn’t reach Al-Sanadra.
·
I know two of the defendants, Ahmed Al-Tayeb and Saied Abdalla
·
I was armed with a personal weapon (AK-47 gun) but I was not among Al-Sanadra
attackers
·
I had entered Hassan Alzaibaq’s house with Alhadi and Alzaki but we were not
armed and I didn’t shot Ismail Adam.
3. Saied Abdalla Al-Saied
·
I’m a SAF soldier (Lance Corporal No. 2202200214) in South Kordufan (SK)
western region seconded (attached) to PDF Al-Abbasiya. I’m also a driver of the
PDF commander captain Ali Abkar.
·
On Friday 2 nd Sep. 2016 at 11:00 AM, I was ordered by Captain Ali and Asim
Salim in Al-Abbasiya to go for a mission. We had used two vehicles and in both
there were machine guns mounted on.
·
The vehicles did not reach Al-Sanadra and we didn’t fire any bullet.
·
I know two of the defendants, Ahmed Al-Tayeb and Ahmed Jazim.
·
I was armed with personal weapon/gun (AK 47)
4. Ahmed Al-Tayeb Al-Zain
·
I’m a PDF member (Mujahid) and I was armed with AK 47. My nickname is Wad
Ahmed.
·
On Friday 2nd Sep. 2016, I met the PDF commandant and I had accepted his
invitation to join them in the mission with the two vehicles.
·
I know two of the defendants Ahmed Jazim and Saied Abdalla.
·
I do not know the witnesses Ahmed Alaati, Hassan Alzaibaq and Emam Abdalla
Eldai (but later he mentioned of knowing Emam).
5. Al-sadiq Mohammed Rahma
·
I’m a member of PDF and was armed with AK 47 and RBG gun.
·
I was not among the Al-Sanadra attackers.
·
I know two of the defendants Alzaki and Abakar Fadelmowla
·
I do not know any of those witnesses Ahmed Alaati or Hassan Alzaibaq or
Elshareif Ahmed By the end of this session the judge adjourned court to 28th
February 2018 at 11:00 AM (Sudan local time) for further questioning of the
defendants.
Observation notes
·
According to the military’s Legal consultant questions to the witness, he was
trying to ensure that PDF attack is not officially connected to Sudan Armed
Forces (SAF).
·
All the five questioned defendants live in Al-Abbasiya except the first defendant
(the underage).
Recommendations/ Appeals HUDO urges all the concerned, especially:
·The Sudan court to conduct
the trial fairly
· The activists, defenders
and supporters to keep on attending court sessions
· The diplomatic missions
and embassies to observe the court sessions
· The Sudan and
international media to give full coverage for the court
END For any further information please write to hudo2009@gmail.com