Daily Times

KHARTOUM – A leading Sudanese human rights lawyer said that while he was meeting with a group of students who were suspended for staging protests, security officers raided his office on Thursday.

Nabil Adeeb said that his residence which adjoins the office was also raided by a team of Sudan’s powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), AFP reported.

“I was in a meeting with some students against whom the Khartoum university administration had taken some measures when the officers stormed into my office,” Adeeb said.

“They were carrying Kalashnikovs and shouting. They then took the students and two files from my office,” he added.

Adeeb said two lawyers and two employees working with him in his office were also taken by the security forces but were later released. The fate of the students was still unknown.

It is pertinent to mention that Sudan’s powerful NISS has wide-ranging powers across the country and in recent days has cracked down on students holding protests in universities.

In April, two students were killed while they were holding protests.

Students belonging from Khartoum University and Omdurman University in the past few weeks have held daily protests demanding the release of fellow students detained in previous demonstrations.

Sudan’s security forces have regularly clashed with the students and fired tear gas to crush their rallies. Some of those who took part in protests were suspended from attending classes by university officials.

He said he has now complained to the lawyers syndicate and would soon approach the justice ministry and the country’s human rights commission.

Sudanese officials were not immediately available for comment. Global rights groups have regularly accused Sudan’s security forces of detaining worker rights and opposition politicians in the country.