The Chairman of the Sudanese Bar Association Al-Tayeb Haroun has accused lawyers who petitioned against harassment by security agents of having a political agenda.

On Wednesday, over 550 lawyers organized protests in front of the Bar Association in Khartoum protesting the storming of the office of attorney Nabeel Adib earlier this month. They also presented a petition.

The security forces stormed Nabeel's office while the advocate was meeting to discuss the situation of students arrested during protests which rocked universities in Sudan over the past months. One of Nabeel's employees was beaten by the security agents during the raid.

The protesting lawyers claimed they had tried to meet with Al-Tayeb over the incident at Abeel's office, but the Bar Association chairman refused to meet them.

Al-Tayeb denied he avoided meeting with them but confirmed receipt of the petition. He instead accused the lawyers of ignoring a proposal by him to hold their protest on a different day. He claimed they showed up the Bar Association when he wasn't there and insulted him and the Association.

He threatened to hold the lawyers accountable.

“They don’t want to present a petition because if they want to do so, I told them to come on Monday, but they refused. They have other political agenda,” said Haroun.

He also said the Bar Association has already condemned the raid on Nabeel's office, and has also called for the release of the detained students or presentation of the detainees to courts.

File photo

Related:

Lawyer and families of detained students protest in Khartoum (26 May)

Sudanese security raid lawyer's office, arrest clients after dismissal of student protesters (6 May)