Demonstrations in Abu Hamad After Attempted Rape (images)

Residents of Abu Hamad, a town on the north edge of Nile River State, began protesting yesterday after an intruder attempted to rape a student in a dormitory, and then stabbed her when she screamed. The young woman is said to be in critical condition. The man suspected of attempted rape is one of many gold prospectors who have swarmed the town with the recent "gold rush."

Demonstrations protesting the lack of adequate security to protect town residents from the gold prospectors continued today in a square renamed Azza Square for the student who was attacked. The residents are calling for the resignation of officials, the capture of the suspect in this particular case, as well as increased security for the people. Salah Karrar, an original member of the current regime has joined the protesters in their call for reform.

Updates - Trials of Rania and Samar (images)

The trial of novelist, Rania Elmamoun has again been postponed in Wad Medani, this time until 21 October, due to the absence of witnesses. She is the writer who publicly shared the tale of the torture of her brother, sister and herself. She is portrayed on the left in the image below, with bruises resulting from her torture at the hands of security forces, while brother had his collar bone broken. 

Samar Mirghani, pictured on the right, is to receive a verdict on the 28 October. Dr. Samar is on trial for speaking about and photographing abuses by security forces. 

(via Rasd Sudan)

Below, pictures from outside the courthouse where Rania had her court date today.

More than 50 hunger strikers continue to work to bring attention to the situation in Sudan. Here is blogger Muniness' blog from today on #strike4sudan.

Political cartoon reads: Lifting of subsidies

250 dead, but what about those who were injured?

Medical sources have reported 250 dead from September protests, but the number of injured are not known. Ibrahim Abdelrahman, pictured below, is an 8th grader. Abena reports on their Facebook page, he remains in a coma since being shot on 25 September. Ja'far Othman Yagoub of Kalakla was reported to have died today from blunt force head trauma caused by sharp instruments during protests there.

There are reports of fabricated and coerced confessions, a long time NISS tactic, as well as reports of underaged children being charged in relation to protests.

There are unconfirmed reports that Huzaa, a martyr of the protests in Shambat, North Khartoum had been detained for statements she made regarding the security forces, calling them "dogs of the government."

The government, some report, has offered families of murdered protesters to perform Hajj, sponsored by the government.

The families of those killed in the protests continue to be denied death certificates, instead receiving only permission to bury their loved ones.

President Bashir is due to leave to perform Hajj on Sunday, at the invitation of the Saudi government.

A demonstrations in support of Sudanese protesters calling for regime change was held in front of the Hague, the Netherlands on 5 October 2013. Watch video here.

On October 6, Al Arabiya reported that charges were dropped by a judge in Haj Yousef, North Khartoum, against 19 detained protesters due to a lack of evidence against them. 

Release Moiz Abdewalah

Activist Moiz Abdelwalah was arrested in September for calling for peaceful change in Sudan. After detaining him, NISS is reported to have created a fake profile dedicated to Moiz. A post was made on the fake profile indicating, erroneously, that he had been released. Click here to go to the actual page dedicated to the release of Moiz Abdelwalah.

Update October 7, 2013

(updated 4:17 p.m. EDT)

Today pharmacy students at the University of Khartoum held a silent protest for a fellow student detained by NISS.

Today Sudan TV hosted a "psychological expert" to analyse the protesters. His diagnosis? Sociopaths with inferiority complexes and resentment. He further stated that they suffer from social envy toward certain economic classes, are neglected by parents, or are illegitimate children out for revenge against society.

The trial of Dr. Samar Mirghani was again postponed, this time until Wednesday, 9 October at 1 p.m. 

Medical sources report that Dr. Sabri Fakhri, a Sudanese surgeon, has been detained for ten days by the NCP regime.

Read an article here about the families of slain protesters demanding an international investigation into the killing of peaceful protesters.

Three hundred Sudanese doctors working in the UK handed a memorandum to the British government indicating that the death toll from protests had reached 250 and that many injured demonstrators were being denied access to hospitals.

The Sudanese Journalists Network organized a press conference on press freedom today at Umma Party headquarters in Omdurman. Security forces besieged the press conference and some journalists were arrested.

There are reports that doctors were arrested after initiating a demonstration inside Khartoum Hospital.

Many families of protesters who were killed have not received death certificates. It was reported that the head of Khartoum's mortuary resigned during the early days of the current protests, defying orders to register protest related deaths resulting from gunshots as due to natural causes.

Ahram.org reported demonstrations in Sinnar, about 250 km southeast of Khartoum, last night. Witnesses said police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrations.

On Sunday night, State radio reported that Bashir ordered the release of "all the women arrested except those accused of a crime." Of course, many men and women remain in detention.

Gulf News reported that, "The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, a human rights watchdog, said Saturday that more than 800 people had been arrested throughout the country by police and the NISS.

"The prisoners include political activists, opposition party members and human rights defenders, the watchdog said, adding that the exact number of detentions was unknown.

""The majority of detainees are in NISS custody and have not been charged with any criminal offence," the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies said."

Radio Dabanga reported that the Central Regional Court in Wad Madani sentenced 40 people charged with protesting to 20 lashes and a fine of 150 SDG.

Mohammed Salah Elfeil, missing for many days, and known to have been in NISS custody, was reported to have been released and in good condition.

The Guardian reported information first brought to light in 2009 that Omar Al-Bashir may have stashed as much as nine billion dollars of Sudan's money in London banks. This information comes from secret US diplomatic cables recounting conversations with the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. This amount of money is equal to one tenth of of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Sudan.

There was a demonstration in Rome, Italy in support of Sudanese protesters calling for regime change.

Women take a silent stand.

(updated 4 October 7:40 EST)

Today women stood in silent protest of the detention of women activists in front of NISS headquarters on Qiyaada Street in Hai Al Matar (Airport District).

Several arrests were reported from another protest on Nile Street including Tasneem Nagi, Sara Yacoub, Fatima Joda, Fatima Musallam, Islam Shaheen and Fatima Adil Mohammed. (Update: as of 8:30 p.m. KRT time, Tasneem Nagi and Islam Shaheen have been released from custody.)

Fatima Joda, one of those arrested today.

Also reported arrested by NISS was a prominent imam of a mosque in Bahri, Sheikh Ahmed Eltayeb.