Sudan sentences eight to jail terms for joining demos: state media
Mar 01, 2019
Four protesters were sentenced to five years in jail, three to three years and one for six months, the official SUNA news agency reported.
Sudan's newly established emergency courts sentenced eight protesters to jail late on Thursday, state media reported, the first such sentences over participation in rallies banned by President Omar al-Bashir.
The protesters were handed down jail terms ranging from six months to five years by three separate courts in Khartoum set up on Tuesday to investigate violations under the state of emergency imposed by Bashir to quell protests that have rocked his rule.
Four protesters were sentenced to five years in jail, three to three years and one for six months, the official SUNA news agency reported.
The eight protesters are the first such accused found guilty of violating directives issued by Bashir as part of a nationwide state of emergency he imposed last week.
"Those sentenced were found guilty of ... participating in a banned gathering," SUNA reported.
Bashir has banned all unauthorised rallies and given sweeping powers to security forces to carry out raids and personal searches as part of the state of emergency imposed after a crackdown failed to quell protests that erupted in December.