The Committee for Justice expressed its deep shock and unequivocal rejection of the death sentence issued by the Sennar Criminal Court against human rights lawyer and defender Abubakr Mansour, ordering his execution by hanging. The Committee considered this ruling a serious setback to the principles of justice and a blatant violation of the right to defense and the guarantees of a fair trial.
The court issued the death sentence despite the fact that the Court of Appeal had previously overturned some charges and returned the case to the general court to hear additional evidence. However, Judge Abd al-Latif Adam Mohamed Ali, who was specifically assigned to handle politically sensitive cases, ignored that decision and issued his ruling without hearing any evidence or notifying the defense team — a clear violation of proper judicial procedures.
In a worrying development, security forces arrested lawyer Abubakr El-Mahi, a member of the defense team, five days before the verdict was issued, preventing him from carrying out his legal duties or communicating with his client. The Committee for Justice described this as “a blatant attempt to silence the voice of defense and muzzle lawyers.”
The Committee affirmed that these violations constitute a clear breach of the Transitional Constitution and international human rights treaties — foremost among them the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) — both of which guarantee the right to a fair trial, the freedom of defense, and the independence of the judiciary.
The Committee for Justice called for the immediate annulment of the death sentence against lawyer Abubakr Mansour, a retrial in accordance with fair and transparent procedures, and the immediate and unconditional release of lawyer Abubakr El-Mahi, enabling him to perform his legal duties without harassment. It also demanded an end to all forms of security interference in the work of the judiciary and the public prosecution, and the guarantee of judicial independence.
The Committee stressed that the ongoing targeting of lawyers and human rights defenders in Sudan reflects a dangerous deterioration in the state of justice and threatens public trust in state institutions. It urged the international community and human rights organizations to take immediate action to pressure Sudanese authorities to end the use of the judiciary as a tool for political retaliation.