The Committee For Justice has condemned what it described as the systematic targeting of lawyers in the capital, Khartoum, due to their involvement in defending individuals accused under Articles 50 and 51 of the Sudanese Criminal Code — provisions often used to bring charges of “undermining the constitutional order” and “waging war against the state.”
The Committee affirmed that these articles have become tools for political retaliation, used to fabricate charges against civilians under the pretext of collaboration with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The real objective, it stated, is to restrict lawyers’ freedom and obstruct their role in defending the accused, in clear violation of the right to legal defense, which is guaranteed both constitutionally and under international law.
The Committee For Justice highlighted the case of lawyer Nasra Abkar Ibrahim, who was arbitrarily arrested along with her sister in Omdurman, despite not being a legal representative in the relevant cases. She had merely attended a trial session alongside her colleagues. Judge Badr Al-Din Mohamed Ahmed Al-Nimr initiated criminal proceedings against her, leading to fabricated complaints under Articles 103 and 115 of the Criminal Code, accusing her of threatening a public official and obstructing the course of justice — all without lifting her legal immunity. She is currently awaiting trial.
The Committee stated that such practices represent a serious violation of judicial independence, a breach of the right to defense, and an unacceptable misuse of criminal procedures as a tool for political intimidation, threatening the foundations of justice and undermining the rule of law in the country.
The Committee For Justice called for the cancellation of all arbitrary complaints against lawyers and civilians related to Articles 50 and 51, which are being used as a legal cover for political targeting. It also demanded the immediate release of lawyer Nasra Abkar Ibrahim and her sister, and the dropping of all malicious charges against them.
Furthermore, the Committee urged the authorities to guarantee legal immunity for lawyers, enable them to perform their duties without threats or intimidation, end security interference in the work of the judiciary and public prosecution, and ensure the independence of judicial institutions.
The Committee stressed that these violations place Sudan under international scrutiny, as they contradict the country’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, in addition to being in clear breach of the Sudanese Advocacy Law.