An expert from persecution watchdog Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has been physically assaulted while speaking at a demonstration.

Mohaned Elnour, a human rights lawyer and specialist on religious freedom in Sudan, was addressing the crowd outside Newcastle’s City Hall on Sunday.

Elnour criticised atrocities carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Sudan, a group which came out of the Janjaweed militia responsible for the Darfur genocide between 2003 and 2005.  He said this was supported by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which the RSF is now in conflict with. Crowd members shouted pro-SAF slogans and his microphone was cut.

A group came onto stage and allegedly threw Elnour to the ground, punching and kicking him. He was punched and kicked by at least five people, including a woman who called him “a dirty Janjaweed” while slapping him. 

CSW have said he left with a deep cut to his left thumb, a hairline fracture in his right wrist, whiplash, aggravated pain to pre-existing slipped disks in his back, and temporarily blurred vision after receiving heavy blows to his head.  

A crowd member intervened, and Elnour returned to the stage to finish his speech. He was asked to leave the site by police, along with his family, according to CSW. Officers allegedly escorted attackers away from the protest. 

Scott Bower, CSW chief executive, said the group “condemns this attack on our colleague and friend Mohaned Elnour in the strongest terms, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family”.

“We applaud Mr Elnour’s courage and conviction in speaking out about the atrocities taking place in Sudan without fear or favour, and rising to address the crowd once again, moments after being attacked,” he added. 

The Darfur Diaspora Association UK, the event co-organisers, have also condemned the attack. 

At least 150,000 people have been killed in Sudan’s civil war. The retiring Bishop of Leeds called it the ‘worst human catastrophe on the planet” in his final speech to parliament last week.