A court in SAF-controlled Kassala state on Sunday sentenced social activist Dr Ali Omar to one year in prison and fined him 10 million Sudanese pounds over social media posts attributed to him that criticised the state’s army-aligned governor.
Omar’s family said he was convicted under Articles 24 and 25 of Sudan’s Cybercrime Law, covering defamation and libel.
The case centres on posts published by a social media page called “Arkokbai” that contained criticism of Kassala Governor Maj Gen (ret.) al-Sadiq Mohammed al-Azraq.
Al-Azraq was appointed governor in April 2024 under the administration headed by Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and remains closely aligned with the Sudanese Armed Forces. He has publicly praised the army and allied forces for their battlefield operations.
Omar’s family, however, disputes that he was responsible for the posts. They said the complainant failed to produce digital evidence showing that Omar administered or controlled the Arkokbai page.
The specific wording of the posts at the centre of the prosecution has not been made public in reports reviewed by The Sudan Times, making it unclear precisely what criticism formed the basis of the conviction.
The verdict triggered criticism from activists, who questioned the prosecution of a government critic under cybercrime legislation while accusing authorities of failing to act against widespread hate speech and inflammatory content on Sudanese social media.
The case adds to concerns over restrictions on political expression in areas controlled by the army-aligned Port Sudan authorities and the use of cybercrime and defamation provisions against activists and government critics.
