With her Jan. 22 arrest, Osman joined hundreds of activists and protest leaders targeted since a military coup last October removed a transitional government from power. Following the coup, security forces launched a deadly crackdown on protesters. Sudanese security forces have also been accused of using sexual violence against women taking part in the demonstrations. It is not the first time security forces have been accused of using rape — such attacks occurred under al-Bashir and also under the military during the transitional period. After the coup, the military reinstated the agency’s powers, which include detaining people without informing their families.
