/ 4 February 1999

SUDAN FREES POLITICAL PRISONERS

THE Sudanese government has released all political prisoners in line with a recommendation by the Sudanese Human Rights Council, the Sudanese embassy in London announced on Thursday. In a statement, the embassy said the releases were announced on Wednesday in Khartoum. Council chairman Ahmed al-Mufti said the recommendation was made on December 5, when it reviewed the cases of all 41 detainees then being held under the National Security Act. It called on the government to review at the cases, take legal action against those who face criminal offences and release the others. “The release is in line with provisions of the constitution,” Mufti added. “There is not a single political detainee at present.” He did not say how long the political prisoners had been held.