The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the ongoing denial of access to legal counsel and family visits for the writer and historian Khalid Bahiri by the Sudanese army’s intelligence apparatus, along with the concealment of his place of detention for more than five months.
Bahiri was arrested on January 14, 2025, from inside his home in Wad Madani city, the capital of Al-Jazeera state, following a raid by military intelligence forces on the building at dawn that day, without a judicial warrant or explanation for the arrest.
Eyewitnesses reported that the military force stormed the house suddenly and took Bahiri to an unknown location after searching the premises and confiscating his personal phone and laptop.
Khalid Bahiri is known for his civil and humanitarian activities during the conflict periods in Wad Madani, especially during the period when the Rapid Support Forces controlled the city. He was among the leading organizers of humanitarian initiatives that helped provide food, water, and medical aid to civilians affected by the clashes. He also documented field conditions and violations committed against residents through social media platforms — which appears to have been one of the reasons behind his targeting by military intelligence.
For its part, the CFJ condemns these violations committed against Bahiri and calls for respect for his basic human rights, including his right to legal defense and communication with his family. The committee also urges his immediate release or for him to be brought before a court that meets internationally recognized standards of fair trial.
