Human rights and democracy advocates are expressing relief at the release of Sudanese civil society activists convicted of publishing fake reports or spying:
Khalafalla Al-Afif, Midhat Hamdan and Mustafa Adam were arrested on May 23 last year after security agents raided the office of the TRACKS Training Center in Khartoum. Two of the men, Khalafalla and Midhat, worked for TRACKS, a group providing training in human rights issues, while the third man, Mustafa, was visiting the center at the time of the raid.
Convicted to one year in prison, the activists were released for time served, and a local fundraising campaign has reportedly within a few hours already raised 70% of the additional fines imposed.
“The future of Sudan’s civil society is at stake and there are reasons to express deep concerns,” said Alice Mogwe of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in a statement released ahead of Sunday’s sentencing.
The case is emblematic of the shrinking space for Sudanese civil society amidst ongoing repression and crackdowns on NGOs, activists and human rights, FIDH added.
