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Sudanese Court Orders Filing of Criminal Suit Against Director of Kober Prison

Protesters take to the streets of Khartoum on December 8. (AFP)
Protesters take to the streets of Khartoum on December 8. (AFP)
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Sudanese Court Orders Filing of Criminal Suit Against Director of Kober Prison

Protesters take to the streets of Khartoum on December 8. (AFP)
Protesters take to the streets of Khartoum on December 8. (AFP)

A Sudanese court ordered the public prosecution to file a criminal suit against the director of Kober prison for refusing to implement its decision to transfer a protester from solitary to group confinement.

Last week, the trial of Mohamed Adam, also known as Tupac, and three other men, accused of killing a police officer during demonstrations in January, was adjourned because Adam showed serious signs of beating.

Judge Zuhair Babiker Abdel Razek explained on Sunday that court issued on Nov. 14 a decision to transfer Tupac from his solitary confinement to a regular prison cell with the rest of the defendants.

He added that Tupac was brought to court in handcuffs, the keys of which were left in the prison. He appeared to be beaten and injured. The court had previously stated that no suspect should be brought in in handcuffs.

Abdel Razek said the prison administration failed to comply with the court’s decisions, thus violating the law.

In light of the aforementioned circumstances, the judge said the court was also concerned over Tupac’s safety.

A decision was issued to file a criminal case under Article 90 of the 1991 Sudanese Criminal Code against the director of the prison, Police Major General Al-Tayeb Ahmed Omar, to transfer the accused to another prison, Abdel Razek said.

Lawyer Moez Hazrat said the decision restored the judiciary’s authority and sent a clear message to the police that they must respect the rule of law.

He called on the public prosecution to implement the decision and file a criminal suit against Omar.

“Filing this suit does not require lifting immunity and the approval of the Director General of Police because the crime was carried out deliberately despite the judge's orders,” Hazrat stressed.

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Shiite Forces Boycott Meeting with Vatican Secretary on Lebanon’s Presidential Crisis

Parolin, al-Rai and other officials during the meeting at Bkirki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Parolin, al-Rai and other officials during the meeting at Bkirki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Shiite Forces Boycott Meeting with Vatican Secretary on Lebanon’s Presidential Crisis

Parolin, al-Rai and other officials during the meeting at Bkirki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Parolin, al-Rai and other officials during the meeting at Bkirki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Representatives of Lebanon's Supreme Islamic Shiite Council and Shiite deputies boycotted a meeting of the heads of sects and parliamentary blocs with Vatican Secretary Cardinal Pietro Parolin at the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkirki on Tuesday.

The meeting, which focused on the presidential crisis, was held at Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai's invitation.

Addressing the gatherers, Parolin underlined the need to preserve the “Lebanese model” in the turbulent region. He called on the different parties to cooperate to resolve the crisis and reach solutions that “bring hope to Lebanon and its people.”

“I convey to you the greetings of His Holiness Pope Francis, who is carefully following the developments in Lebanon...” he stated, adding: “Today, Lebanon must remain a model of coexistence and unity in light of the ongoing crises and wars.”

He said he was in Lebanon to help end the crisis, namely the failure to elect a president of the republic.

The presidency has been vacant since Michel Aoun’s term ended in October 2022.

For his part, al-Rai emphasized that the meeting was a “gathering of the Lebanese family” and an opportunity for dialogue and mutual understanding, especially during these challenging times.

Shiite representatives boycotted the meeting despite an invitation being sent to the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council.

An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the decision was a response to remarks made by al-Rai during the Sunday mass sermon, in which he said that the resistance against Israel in the South has turned the area into an arena for terrorist acts that destabilize the security and stability of the region.

According to the same source, the Shiite community has no problem with the Vatican, as Parolin is scheduled to meet with Speaker Nabih Berri - a Shiite - on Wednesday.

Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan sent a letter to the Vatican secretary, criticizing al-Rai’s position without naming him and saying: “Some spiritual leaders in my country view what the group of its resisters are doing as abhorrent terrorism that must be deterred and prevented.”

“We do not accept that the Church uses positions that serve Zionist terrorism and global crime,” he added.

Regarding the election of a president, Qabalan stressed: “We want a Christian president for the Muslims, who is as eager as the Muslim resistance [Hezbollah] and its sacrifices for the sake of the Christian churches. This can only be achieved through consensus that safeguards the homeland of Muslims and Christians.”

Christian parties quickly slammed Qabalan’s remarks. In a statement, the Kataeb Party said the letter “contained clear incitement against the role of Bkirki and hateful sectarianism that we have never heard before even at the peak of the Lebanese [civil] war.”