Sudan blamed for death of sick Darfur rebel

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Amnesty International on Thursday accused Sudan of torturing and denying treatment to a man convicted of taking part in a Darfur rebel attack, saying Khartoum was to blame for his death in hospital.

Sudan dismissed the report, saying the man had been cared for and died a "normal death" after falling ill.

Ahmed Suleiman was one of more than 100 men sentenced to death after being convicted of taking part in an attack on Khartoum by Darfur's rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in May 2008, the rights groups said in a statement.

Suleiman, in his late twenties, was taken from Khartoum's Kober prison two days before he died of tuberculosis in a police hospital on Wednesday last week, said Amnesty.

"His body was still in shackles and showed evidence of torture. He had also been suffering from a lung infection for a long time but was refused access to a specialised doctor by the prison despite requests by his lawyer," read the organisation's statement.

"The Sudanese government was responsible for the death," it added.

Sudan's foreign ministry spokesman Moawia Osman Khalid told Reuters an investigation had been launched into the death but denied there had been any torture or mistreatment.

"He was ill. He was taken to the hospital. He received the necessary treatments. But unfortunately he died ... It was a normal death," said Khalid.

JEM confirmed Suleiman was one of its members but said he had not taken part in the attack on Khartoum.