Arbitrary detention of two community leaders from Port Sudan, Red Sea state

Arbitrary detention /

Incommunicado detention

Sudan
January 11, 2018

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of theWorld Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the FIDH, requests your urgentintervention in the following situation in Sudan.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) about the arbitrary detention of Messrs. Hashim Ali Ahmed
and Osman Albagir Osman, two community leaders from Port Sudan, Red Sea state.

Accordingto the information received, on December 11, 2017, Messrs. Hashim Ali Ahmed andOsman Albagir Osman were summoned to National Intelligence and Security Services(NISS) offices after leading a peaceful protest of the Bishareen tribe membersagainst activities of the Sudanese mining company “Abor Shirish” contracted bythe government to search for gold in a number of archaeological sites inHalayib locality, Red Sea state.

Atthe NISS offices of Port Sudan, Messrs. Hashim Ali Ahmed and Osman AlbagirOsman were forced to record statements indicating that they would desist frommobilising protests against the mining company, before being released the sameday. Despite these statements, they continued to protest against the miningactivities.

On 17December 2017, the two leaders were intercepted bythe NISS and arrested while they were travelling from Port Sudan to Halayiblocality, accompanied by a delegation of archaeologists from the Sudanese Antiquities Department. The community leaders were then taken to theNISS offices in Port Sudan where they remained in detention until they weretransferred to Khartoum on December 29, 2017, where they are still being heldunder NISS custody.

They were held incommunicado without charge being brought against them, nor being granted access to their lawyers and families until January 7, 2018, when they
had access to one family visit. However, the transfer from Port Sudan to Khartoum will hinder access of their families since Khartoum is approximately 800 kilometres
from Port Sudan. They still have not had access to their lawyers.

TheObservatory strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of Messrs. Hashim AliAhmed and Osman Albagir Osman, as it clearly aimed at hindering their peacefuland legitimate human rights activities, and express its upmost concern for theuse of incommunicado detention which significantly enhances vulnerability totorture and ill-treatment.

TheObservatory calls upon Sudanese authorities to immediately and unconditionallyrelease Messrs. Hashim Ali Ahmed and Osman Albagir Osman and in the meantime toguarantee their physical and psychological integrity and their right to a fairtrial.

Actions requested:

Pleasewrite to the authorities of Sudan asking them to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally release Messrs. Hashim Ali Ahmed and Osman Albagir Osman and all human rights defenders detained in Sudan;

2. In the meantime, guarantee the right to due process and a fair trial of Messrs. Hashim Ali Ahmed and Osman Albagir Osman;

3. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Messrs. Hashim Ali Ahmed and Osman Albagir Osman;

4. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially Articles 1, 6(c) and 12.2; and

5. More generally, ensure in all circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with international and regional human rights instruments ratified by Sudan.

Addresses:

· H.E Mr. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir, President of Sudan, Fax:+249183783223; Email: info@presidency.gov.sd

· DrIdris Ibrahim Jameel, Minister of Justice, Fax: +24983791544 / +249183764168 / + 249183770883; Email: moj@moj.gov.sd

· Mr. Ibrahim AhmedGhandour, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fax:+249183772941

· Gen. Dr. Hamid Manan Mohamed, Minister of Interior, Fax: +249183779383 /249183776554; Email: ministry@mfa.gov.sd

· Advisory Council for Human rights, Rapporteur, Fax: + 249183770883

· H.E. Mr. Mustafa Osman Ismail Elamin, Ambassador, Permanent Mission ofthe Republic of Sudan United Nations in Geneva, Fax: +41227312656 /+41227161970; Email: mission.sudan@bluewinch.ch,

· Embassy of Sudan in Brussels, Fax: +3226483499; Email: sudanbx@yahoo.com

Pleasealso write to the diplomatic missions or embassies of Sudan in your respectivecountry.

***

Geneva-Paris,January 11, 2017

Kindlyinform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in yourreply.

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) wascreated in 1997 by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the FIDH.The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situationsof repression against human rights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both membersof ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented byinternational civil society.

Tocontact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29

· Tel and fax FIDH + 33 1 43 55 2518 / +33 1 43 55 18 80