The brother of Ibrahim Osman Ahmed refuted claims of his connection with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Gedaref State, calling the accusation against his brother unfounded and lacking evidence.
In a ruling issued by the El Gedaref Criminal Court on Monday, Ibrahim Osman Ahmed, 30, was sentenced to ten years in prison and could face the death penalty for alleged links with the RSF.
Abdulrahman, the brother of the convicted individual, told Radio Tamazuj that “My brother was apprehended at the Passport Department in El Gedaref State while our family was there to obtain passports. However, he was ensnared by military intelligence, who summoned him under the pretext of collecting family passports.”
Abdulrahman elaborated, “The photo discovered on his phone, which the prosecution relied on, is dated back to 2017,” asserting that all family members affirm its authenticity, deeming it inadequate evidence of RSF association.
Abdulrahman further explained that his brother and several family members had relocated to El Gedaref following the outbreak of conflict in Khartoum. Their purpose in the city was to secure passports for various family members, including children.
He continued, stating that approximately three months prior, individuals linked to military intelligence contacted his brother, notifying him of the issuance of the family’s passports. Upon his arrival at the passport office, he was apprehended by military intelligence and charged with belonging to the RSF.
Abdulrahman asserted that authorities targeted his brother based on ethnic and racial biases, citing his ties to the Darfur region.
According to the Sudan News Agency, authorities detained an individual associated with the RSF in El Gedaref State. The prosecution’s case relied on a photo found on his phone depicting him in a uniform (known as Kadmool) and carrying a weapon, as well as conversations retrieved from his phone with women confirming his RSF affiliation.
This verdict represents the first of its kind since the commencement of hostilities between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April last year.