Sudanese Authorities Arrest Another Political Opponent

Taha Osman ERC Member

February 19, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities on Saturday arrested Taha Osman a member of the suspended Empowerment Removal Committee (ERC) and leading member of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC).

Earlier this month, the Sudanese authorities arrested several prominent FFC leaders who were part of the ERC and charged them with breach of trust.

The detainees are Wagdi Salih, an ERC’s member, Khalid Omar Youssif, former Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Mohamed al-Faki, a Member of the Sovereignty Council and Chairman of the committee.

Multiple sources confirmed that a joint force of the police, army, and the General Intelligence Service arrested Osman near the headquarters of the Baath Party on El-Gomhouria street in Khartoum.

The Committee for the Defence of People Affected by Unlawful Detention and Mass Killing Martyrs issued a statement condemning the unlawful detention of the Sudanese lawyer saying he enjoys advocates’ immunity which prohibits his detention before the needed permission.

Also, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) condemned  Osman’s “political arrest” saying it was part of the arbitrary arrests campaign targeting the Resistance Committees, and the anti-coup political and civil society groups.

The SPA added that the political detainees are held in a special section of Soba Prison supervised by a special security committee.

Lt General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Chairman of the Sovereign Council told the UNITAMS Head Volker Perthes on Thursday that the arrest of the political leaders had been carried out by the independent judicial and legal authorities.

Perthes met al-Burhan to stress the need to create a suitable atmosphere for the dialogue process he is working on.

For their part, the FFC said the continued bloody crackdown on protesters and the arrest of opponent political leaders and activists aim in fact to abort the UN-facilitated process.

(ST)