Turabi faces charges of sedition and incitement

A committee set up by the Ministry of Justice to look into possible charges against the former speaker of parliament Hasan al-Turabi has recommended two criminal charges. A Sudanese government official told IRIN on Monday that Turabi would be charged with "inciting hatred against the state" and sedition. Both counts are punishable by death or life imprisonment under the Sudanese criminal code, the official said.

Turabi was arrested on 21 February, along with many senior members of his party, the popular National Congress (PNC). The arrests followed the signing on 18 February, of a "memorandum of understanding" between Turabi and the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA). According to the official, "the possibility exists that all members of [Turabi's] political bureau will also be charged. He said once formal charges had been presented, the process "will move swiftly" and Turabi is likely to be brought before the courts within two weeks.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Yassir Arman, said in an interview with the London-based Arabic language newspaper 'Al-Sharq al-Awsat' that Turabi's arrest was "preplanned". Arman said in an article published on 9 March that the SPLM signed the agreement with Turabi, because of "a clear change in Dr al-Turabi's political approach".