On June 16th, 2021, the Public Order Police arrested 20 members of several Resistance Committee groups, with another activist arrested the following day. They are accused of murdering Osman Hussein, a police officer, following a sit-in held outside the Academic Hospital Mortuary on June 3rd, 2021, in memory of the Khartoum sit-in massacre that took place on the same date in 2019. Those arrested were present at the sit-in and are also active in monitoring the investigations and the autopsy of unidentified bodies held within the mortuary1.
According to the legal team defending the activists, they were detained by the Public Order Police – currently affiliated with the Dismantling of the 30th June Regime Committee – from a regular gathering space they were known to frequent. The arrests took place illegally – without an arrest warrant or permission from the prosecution – and without evidence or witnesses.
Initially the activists were transferred to the Public Order Court and charged under Articles 77 (Public Disturbances), 69 (Disturbing the Public Peace), and 78 (Drunkenness), which allows the Police to arrest without permission and without having to notify the prosecution. The Court ruled the defendants were innocent and ordered their release.
Within minutes of their release, the Police re-arrested the activists. They were barred from meeting their lawyers and they were not informed of the new charges. At this point the Office of the Prosecutor intervened and requested the case file before authorising permission to bail. At this point the Police refused to comply and disclosed the activists were held under Article 130 (Murder). They then distributed the defendants amongst two police stations.
A group of 10 were randomly selected at a station in Khartoum North and held under the murder of the police officer. Whilst the other 10, held in Elemtidad, were accused of the murder of a member of a Resistance Committee that took place on June 4th at a sit-in held in Elemtidad. The Detective assigned to this case refused to accept the 10 as suspects, as a suspect had previously confessed to the killing several days prior. Instead of releasing the 10 at Elemtidad, the Police charged them with Article 77 (Public Disturbances) and transferred them to prison.
On June 17th, Abbas Karika (24 and member of the Samrab Resistance Committee), was summoned to Emtidad Police Station for questioning. Abbas Karika was also present at the sit-in. Upon summoning for questioning, Abbas was released. Only to be arrested by individuals in plain clothes driving a white pick-up without a number plate. Abbas Karika was then transferred to Khartoum North and accused of the murder of the police officer along with the other members there.
Whilst the fate of the detainees remains unknown, the sit-in at the mortuary has been lifted. The Khartoum Ministry of Health has since dissolved and reformed the autopsy committee. We call on all human rights organisations to urge the Government of Sudan to:
- Immediate unconditional release of the detainees;
- To ensure a fair investigation into the mortuary case;
- End police misuse of authority and to hold them accountable for the unlawful detention of activities and human rights defenders.
1The Mortuary holds many unidentified bodies following the massacre and attack at the Khartoum sit-in on June 3rd, 2019, as part of the protests that toppled the regime of former President Omar Al-Bashir.
