A Sudanese emergency court on Sunday sentenced Mariam al-Mahdi, daughter of Umma Party leader and former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi, to one week in prison. The ruling followed her arrest during planned protests against a nationwide state of emergency declared by President Omar al-Bashir on February 22.
Security agents detained al-Mahdi and her sister Rabah as well as five other party leaders when they attempted to organize a march from the Umma Party headquarters in Omdurman. Mohamed al-Mahdi, a party official unaffiliated with the former premier's family, stated that demonstrators were arrested as they exited the office to lead the protest.
The state of emergency was imposed after a failed crackdown on nationwide demonstrations against al-Bashir's rule since December. The president has since implemented measures including banning unauthorized gatherings and establishing special courts to handle dissent. Al-Mahdi's sentencing aligns with these efforts to suppress opposition.
Al-Bashir seized power in a 1989 Islamist-backed coup that ousted Sadiq al-Mahdi's government. The Umma Party, led by the ex-prime minister, remains a key opposition force in Sudan.
