The security services detained 16 activists of the “No to women’s oppression” group, who staged a protest in front of Omdurman women prison today.
The women protested against the detention of women politicians, especially Dr Maryam El Sadig El Mahdi, Co-Vice President of the National Umma Party (NUP), reportedly held in Omdurman’s women prison, and Samia Kiir of the Sudanese Congress Party, detained in En Nahud.
Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga that the security forces used large quantities of tear gas to disperse the protesting women. Some of the women, among them Sara Nugdallah, NUP Secretary-General, were beaten. 16 women were taken into custody by the police in central Omdurman. They were released later today (Thursday).
Rabah El Sadig El Mahdi, member of the initiative “No to women’s oppression”, told Radio Dabanga after her release that the security forces started using tear gas after they had taken the women’s banners.
She mentioned that the other women, released on bail, are Sara Nugdallah, Dr Ihsan Figeiri, Zeinab El Sadig El Mahdi, Dr Sandra Faroug Kadouda,andnbsp;Um Selma El Sadig El Mahdi, Rashida Ibrahim Abdel Karim, Walaa El Sayed Bushra, Muna Mohamed Taher, Ilham Bushra, Ghafran Mortada, and Zeinab Badreldin. andnbsp;
“We were detained, and released again without being told what the charges were,” Rabah noted.
She stressed that they will continue demonstrating “until all political detainees are released”.
News photo: Sara Nugdallah in police custody, 28 August 2014