On 4 June 2026, a Criminal Court in Al-Qadarif State in eastern Sudan has sentenced political and civil activist Alaa El-Din Al-Sharif, a volunteer with emergency rooms, to five years in prison after convicting him of “waging war against the state” under Article 51 of the Sudanese Penal Code, according to the Democratic Lawyers Alliance in Al-Qadarif. The Alliance stated that the verdict was issued by Judge Hassan Al-Noush and was delivered “by review,” without reading out the reasoning of the decision or presenting the details of the facts on which the court based its conviction, raising questions about transparency and fair trial guarantees. Al-Sharif had remained in detention for several months following his arrest by military intelligence, while sentencing hearings were repeatedly postponed before the final ruling was issued.
Article 51 of the Sudanese Penal Code stipulates penalties for anyone who “wages war against the state” or participates in gathering individuals, training, providing weapons, incitement, or support, with punishments that may reach the death penalty or life imprisonment or lesser prison terms, in addition to possible confiscation of assets.