Sudan condemns 22 more Darfur rebels to death

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Two Sudanese courts sentenced 22 more Darfur rebels to death by hanging on Thursday for their involvement in a raid on the capital in May, defence lawyers said.

"The court condemned 10 to death by hanging," lawyer Adam Saleh told Reuters after the first court gave its verdict.

The condemned stood and shouted "in the name of Darfur, God is the greatest," when they heard the judgment, Saleh said. "They were ready for this -- they knew the rules of the court were unjust."

A second court later condemned 12 others to death.

"Today was the final ruling and the court condemned all 12 defendants to death by hanging," said defence lawyer Shadia Khalafallah.

Some of the 12 accused said "This is martyrdom" on hearing the judgment, a Reuters witness in the court said.

The two court rulings on Thursday bring the total number convicted to date to 30. Another court condemned eight to death on Tuesday.

"We will be launching appeals on behalf of all of them," spokesman for the defence team Muez Hadra told Reuters.

The accused have one week to make their only appeal. The execution order must be then signed by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Sudan's chief prosecutor said.

Special anti-terrorism courts were created to try those captured in the May raid on the capital, the first time rebels had reached Khartoum. They were only stopped at bridges leading to the presidential palace and army headquarters.

The raid by the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) killed more than 200 people and injured hundreds. It prompted arrests of hundreds of Darfuris throughout the capital which were condemned by rights groups.

But on Thursday Bashir's junior partners in government, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), urged him to suspend the sentences and grant an amnesty to the JEM rebels to create good will ahead of renewing a peace process in Darfur.

"We are appealing for those convicted, for their sentences to be suspended," senior SPLM official Yasir Arman told Reuters.

All those tried and awaiting trial should be "granted a general amnesty or be treated as prisoners or war until we reach a peace agreement on Darfur," he said.

Bashir, in defiance of a move by the International Criminal Court to indict him for genocide and war crimes in Darfur, made a defiant tour of the remote west last week urging all rebels to attend talks.

JEM has warned all options are on the table if the execution orders go ahead, including military action.

(Additional reporting by Ibrahim Hamdi; Editing by Catherine Evans)