Eighty-three detainees at Port Sudan’s central prison launched an open-ended hunger strike Tuesday, protesting prolonged detention and repeated trial delays.
The detainees began refusing food at 6 a.m., saying many have spent nearly two years in custody without appearing before a court.
They are accused of collaborating with the Rapid Support Forces under Sudan’s 1991 Criminal Code, which allows life sentences or death penalties.
In a memorandum to ruling council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the detainees said one judge handles all 83 cases.
They said hearings are repeatedly postponed because prosecutors or witnesses fail to appear, turning pretrial detention into indefinite punishment.
The prisoners also described worsening conditions inside the facility, including severe overcrowding, food shortages and inadequate medical care.
They said intense summer heat and humidity have further deteriorated conditions, while diabetic inmates risk losing their eyesight without proper treatment.
The detainees are demanding urgent medical care for seriously ill prisoners and improvements to their humanitarian conditions.
They are also seeking inclusion in recent political amnesties granted to other figures and a meeting with al-Burhan.
The prisoners want Sudan’s chief justice to appoint dedicated judges and establish deadlines to prevent further delays in their cases.
