COURT TRIAL OF AL SANADRA CASE – Update (21)

HUDO Centre
3rd June 2018
Update (21)
COURT TRIAL OF AL-SANADRA CASE

The four court sessions were scheduled for 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th May 2018 respectively. Only two of them were took place and the other two were postponed because the defendants’ panel failed to bring their witnesses. The court sessions were held at Khartoum North court before Justice/ Abdeen Hamid Dhahi and apart from the prosecutor all other parties attended. Court was adjourned to 5th and 6th June 2018. Summary of the court sessions During the court session of 22nd May 2018, three (3) defending witnesses delivered their testimonies and they were questioned by the lawyers’ panels and judge. Their names are:
14th defending witness: Ahmed Omer Osman, 32years, farmer, and resident of Almoweleh village
15th defending witness: Yousif Adam Elfaki, 31 years, farmer and resident of Almoweleh village.
16th defending witness: Alzain Mohammed Osman, 28 years, farmer and resident of Almoweleh village.

On 23rd May 2018, the justice adjourned the session soon after opening because the defendants’ panel failed to bring their witnesses. The session of 29th May 2018, three (3) defending witnesses delivered their testimonies and were questioned by the lawyers’ panels and judge. Their names are:
17th defending witness: Adam Sagha Mudawi, 80 years, farmer and resident of Al-Abbasiya.
18th defending witness: Kharashi Burma M. Joudat, 32 years, cattle trader and resident of Al-Abbasiya. 19th defending witness: Abdalla Nasreldin Daoud, 35 years, unemployed and resident of Al-Abbasiya. He is a brother of the
14th defendant/ Mohammed Nasreldin. On 30th May 2018, soon after the session had begun, the lawyers of the defendants requested court for more time (sessions) in order to bring their witnesses having failed to bring them for the second time. The judge accepted their request and gave them another opportunity to finalize witnesses’ submissions (testimonies).

The summary of witnesses’ testimonies and cross-examination:
· The witnesses testified that the following defendants were with them in Al-Abbasiya or their villages on 2nd September 2016 the morning of Al-Sanadra incident (attack).
              o Three testified in favour of the 6th defendant/ Bardab Mohammed Abakar and the 7th Defendant/ Osman Mohammed Osman.
              o Two testified in favour of the 14th Defendant/ Mohammed Nasreldin Daoud
              o One testified in favour of the 12th defendant/ Abakar Fadelmowla

· None of the witnesses above was interrogated or delivered his testimony to the investigator. They were recently requested by the defendants’ relatives to appear in the court at this stage of the case.
· One witness submitted that, he was informed by children who were with the cattle that, the looted cattle (the attack subject) had been looted by SPLA-N from near Al-Sanadra village. Court was adjourned to 5th and 6th June 2018 to enable the remaining witnesses deliver/submit their testimonies.

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