Sudan
18.07.02
Urgent Interventions
Sudan: arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention of a community leader from the Rizeigat tribe
Case SDN 180702
Arbitrary arrest / Incommunicado detention / Risk of torture
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Sudan.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT), a member of the OMCT network, of the arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention by the Sudanese Security Forces of Mr. Salah Mohamed Abdel Raham, a community leader for the Rizeigat tribe involved in tribal peace initiatives (People to People Peace Dialogue), in Darfour on July 9th, 2002.
According to the information received, at the time of his arrest, Mr. Abdel Raham was engaged in convening a tribal reconciliation conference between the Rizeigat and Dinka from Bahr el-Ghazal. In order to convene this conference, Mr Abdel Raham had travelled to Dinka areas, some of which are located in regions controlled by the SPLA. The forces involved in the initial arrest maintain that he was released then subsequently re-arrested by security personnel from a different part of Darfour because of his connection with 26 men detained after clashes between the Rizeigat and Ma’aliya, both of them Arab tribes. However, Mr Abdel Raham was not involved in these clashes in any way, as he was in SPLA controlled areas at the time of the incident for which he is reportedly being detained. The report indicates that no arrest warrant was served at the time of his arrest.
According to information leaked from security circles, Mr Abdel Raham and the 26 other detainees, who are reportedly facing the death penalty, have since been transported to Port Sudan via Wad Meddani, but this information remains to be confirmed.
According to the information received, Mr Abdel Raham has not been seen since his initial arrest. His family have tried to obtain details of his whereabouts and have asked to be allowed to visit him, but their requests have been denied.
Mr Abdel Raham was reportedly tortured by the security forces in 1997, and suffers from poor health and recurrent back problems and pain as a result. His family fears for his well-being and believes that his life is threatened whilst he remains in detention.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for Mr Abdel Raham’s physical and psychological integrity and fears that he may be subjected to torture during his incommunicado detention. More generally, OMCT is gravely concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in Sudan, notably in Darfour Province, which has recently been the source of a rise in arbitrary arrests and detentions, allegations of the use of torture and the handing out of sentences, including death sentences, resulting from unfair trials.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
· guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Salah Mohamed Abdel Raham, and ensure that he has access to medical treatment;
· immediately locate his whereabouts;
· order his immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges, or if such charges exist, bring him before an impartial tribunal and guarantee his procedural rights at all times;
· guarantee his access to family visits and legal representation;
· guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout Sudan in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards
Addresses
· His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, President' s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 11 783223 / 787676 / 771651
· His Excellency Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 11 779383 / 777268
If you are experiencing difficulties getting through to the fax numbers mentioned above, please send your letters to:
· His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 335, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 731 26 56, E-mail: mission.sudan@ties.itu.int.
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Sudan in your country.
Geneva, July 18th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Arbitrary arrest / Incommunicado detention / Risk of torture
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Sudan.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT), a member of the OMCT network, of the arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention by the Sudanese Security Forces of Mr. Salah Mohamed Abdel Raham, a community leader for the Rizeigat tribe involved in tribal peace initiatives (People to People Peace Dialogue), in Darfour on July 9th, 2002.
According to the information received, at the time of his arrest, Mr. Abdel Raham was engaged in convening a tribal reconciliation conference between the Rizeigat and Dinka from Bahr el-Ghazal. In order to convene this conference, Mr Abdel Raham had travelled to Dinka areas, some of which are located in regions controlled by the SPLA. The forces involved in the initial arrest maintain that he was released then subsequently re-arrested by security personnel from a different part of Darfour because of his connection with 26 men detained after clashes between the Rizeigat and Ma’aliya, both of them Arab tribes. However, Mr Abdel Raham was not involved in these clashes in any way, as he was in SPLA controlled areas at the time of the incident for which he is reportedly being detained. The report indicates that no arrest warrant was served at the time of his arrest.
According to information leaked from security circles, Mr Abdel Raham and the 26 other detainees, who are reportedly facing the death penalty, have since been transported to Port Sudan via Wad Meddani, but this information remains to be confirmed.
According to the information received, Mr Abdel Raham has not been seen since his initial arrest. His family have tried to obtain details of his whereabouts and have asked to be allowed to visit him, but their requests have been denied.
Mr Abdel Raham was reportedly tortured by the security forces in 1997, and suffers from poor health and recurrent back problems and pain as a result. His family fears for his well-being and believes that his life is threatened whilst he remains in detention.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for Mr Abdel Raham’s physical and psychological integrity and fears that he may be subjected to torture during his incommunicado detention. More generally, OMCT is gravely concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in Sudan, notably in Darfour Province, which has recently been the source of a rise in arbitrary arrests and detentions, allegations of the use of torture and the handing out of sentences, including death sentences, resulting from unfair trials.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
· guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Salah Mohamed Abdel Raham, and ensure that he has access to medical treatment;
· immediately locate his whereabouts;
· order his immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges, or if such charges exist, bring him before an impartial tribunal and guarantee his procedural rights at all times;
· guarantee his access to family visits and legal representation;
· guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout Sudan in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards
Addresses
· His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, President' s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 11 783223 / 787676 / 771651
· His Excellency Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 11 779383 / 777268
If you are experiencing difficulties getting through to the fax numbers mentioned above, please send your letters to:
· His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 335, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 731 26 56, E-mail: mission.sudan@ties.itu.int.
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Sudan in your country.
Geneva, July 18th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.