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Sudan released without charge two detained human rights lawyers who were arrested in December for speaking out against the arrest of seven opposition politicians. Ghazi Suleiman and Ali Mahmud Hassanein were released on Saturday, 17 February, under a presidential decree, local newspapers said.
The two human rights lawyers protested against the arrest of opposition politicians detained during a meeting attended by a US political officer. The US political officer was expelled, and the seven opposition politicians are expected to stand trial on charges of spying and undermining the constitution. The detention of the two lawyers and the opposition politicians provoked protest letters to the government by international human rights organisations, like the US-based Human Rights Watch, which demanded they be fairly tried or set free.
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