AMNESTY International issued an urgent action alert yesterday for political prisoners rounded up by the Sudanese government’s secret police since the start of the year.

The group said that about 140 opposition political figures, women’s and human rights activists and students are believed to have been arrested by the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Services (Niss) and to be at risk of maltreatment or execution.

Many members of the Sudanese Communist Party have been abducted, including political secretary Muhammad Mukhtar al-Khatieb.