Students at the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Al-Zaeem Al-Azhari University, have appealed to local and international media and human-rights organisations to intervene in the case of classmate Mustafa Yousif Mohamed al-Ghazali, who was recently jailed by Port Sudan junta for allegedly collaborating with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a statement released Sunday, classmates insisted the charge rests on “no tangible evidence” and grew out of an off-hand comment al-Ghazali made to a friend—a remark they say was misinterpreted and snowballed into prosecution and conviction.
Fellow students describe al-Ghazali as academically disciplined and apolitical. Witness testimony, they add, confirmed he has no links to the RSF, yet the court nonetheless imposed what they call a “harsh, disproportionate sentence.”
The statement argues the verdict violates not only al-Ghazali’s rights but also “the basic liberties of all students and innocent citizens.” It urges:
- An immediate retrial or annulment of the ruling.
- An impartial legal inquiry into how the case was handled.
- Swift action from domestic and international rights bodies.
- Broad media coverage to spotlight what they call a flagrant miscarriage of justice.
Al-Ghazali’s ordeal unfolds against a wider pattern: hundreds of civilians in areas recaptured by General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) face similar accusations of aiding the RSF—charges that can carry the death penalty. Sudanese legal advocates, including the Darfur Bar Association, warn many trials occur under emergency procedures that lack basic due-process safeguards, especially in SAF-controlled northern regions.
