Sudan rights lawyer says security forces raid his office

Khartoum (AFP) - A leading Sudanese human rights lawyer said Thursday that security forces raided his office while he was meeting with a group of students suspended for staging protests and left with six of them.

Nabil Adeeb told AFP that his residence which adjoins the office was also raided by a team of Sudan's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

"I was in a meeting with some students against whom the Khartoum university administration had taken some measures when the officers stormed into my office," Adeeb said.

"They were carrying Kalashnikovs and shouting. They then took the students and two files from my office," he said.

Adeeb said two lawyers working with him in his office and two employees were also taken by the security forces but were later released.

The fate of the students was still unknown.

Sudan's powerful NISS has wide-ranging powers across the country and in recent days has cracked down on students holding protests in universities.

In April two students were killed while they were holding protests.

Students from Khartoum university and Omdurman university have held near daily protests in the past few weeks demanding the release of fellow students detained in previous demonstrations.

Sudan's security forces have regularly clashed with the students and fired tear gas to crush their rallies.

Some of those who took part in protests were suspended from attending classes by university officials.

Adeeb told AFP that security forces also raided his house which is located near his office.

He said he had complained to the lawyers syndicate and would soon approach the justice ministry and the country's human rights commission.

Sudanese officials were not immediately available for comment.

Global rights groups have regularly accused Sudan's security forces of detaining rights workers and opposition politicians in the country.