Activist Jalila Khamis Kuku says she is in good health after being acquitted of grave charges by the Khartoum North Court and released.

Jalila Khamis told Radio Tamazuj after she was released that she is in a good health and feels strengthened by the verdict, though the poor prison conditions had affected her morale.

She was active in human rights and aiding refugees fleeing from South Kordofan before her arrest in March last year. She faced accusations of conspiracy against the state and spreading false information against it.

Last week the court headed by Judge Abdel-Nasser Salah al-Din acquitted the activist of all charges but one and ordered her release.

Defence lawyer Mahjub Abdallah said that the court dropped all charges except the one brought under article 66 about publishing false news against the country. This conviction was punishable by six months in prison, but the court considered that she had already spent longer than that in pre-trial detention.

In an interview, Jalila disclosed that in the final day of her detention the security organs tried to persuade her not to appear for her last court session, suggesting instead that she be released quietly. They feared losing face when the court dropped accusations against her.

“I was surprised last Thursday when some security organs asked me to withdraw from the last court session,” Jalilia said.

Jalila acknowledged also that she had been distressed, and felt innocent of the charges against her.