Atbara – Sudanscope
The family of the student, Mustafa Alghazazli, has denied a court sentence in Atbara, in which the judge has sentenced him to 10 years in prison. The court convicted Alghazali for making a mere joke in a chat with his friend; he told him that he had joined the Rapid Support Forces, a claim he later denied in the same chat.
The family told Sudanscope that Mustafa, a student in Tourism and Hotels College in Al-azhari University, lives in Sheikh Alamin neighborhood in Eastern Nile Khartoum state, was arrested on 19 February in Khilewa checkpoint near Atbara, after arrived from Cairo where he sat for college exams, he intended to travel to Abu Hamad, an area of artisanal mining before his arrest.
The family stated that Mustafa was detained at the Artillery Command in Atbara before his case was shelved in court. The court convened in three sessions, hearing the plaintiff and seven witnesses who all testified to his innocence and denied any affiliation with any armed group. Despite the court lacking any evidence to support the claim, it sentenced Mustafa to 10 years in prison.
The family stressed that the defense lawyer will appeal the unfair judgment on Monday, demanding a review of the case and a remedy for their dear son.
Mustafa’s colleagues in the college expressed their solidarity with him in a statement, stressing his innocence and criticizing the unjustified sentence. They urge international and local media platforms and human rights organizations to extend urgent support to Mustafa's cause.
