Sudan
02.11.01
Urgent Interventions
'Sudan: Continuing harassement of Mr. Faisal Al Bagir Mohamed
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
New information
SDN 004/0106/OBS 054.2
Continuing harassment and material confiscation
Sudan
November 2, 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT, has received new information regarding the situation in Sudan.
New Information :
The Observatory has been informed by the Sudanese Victims of Torture Group (SVTG) of the continuing harassment of Faisal Albagir Mohamed in Sudan.
According to the information received, Mr. Faisal Albagir Mohamed, member of the SVTG inside Sudan and of the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights, was ordered by the security forces to report for interrogation on Monday 29th October 2001. He has been there interrogated during two hours about his activities with the SVTG and the Khartoum Centre. He has also been questioned about the petition and complaints he wrote to the Minister of Justice, in which he asked for the restitution of his personal belongings, confiscated in June 2001. These belongings include his motorcycle, a PC, a printer, a fax, several books and personal documents.
On October 16th 2001, Faisal had already been interrogated on the same issues by the security forces.
The Observatory expresses its concerns about the ongoing harassment of Mr. Faisal Albagir Mohamed and the confiscation of his belongings, both aimed at hindering his work as a human rights activist.
The Observatory would also like to underline that those acts of harassment are taking place just after that the Sudanese government instructed on 18th October the human rights and cultural centres whose activities had been suspended or placed under heavy surveillance at the beginning of October – among whom the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights – to resume their activities. The Observatory took good note of this information but was still concerned by the fact that the government also stated that all the centres would remain under continued surveillance. The present information seems to confirm this allegation.
Brief reminder of the situation
Faisal Albagir Mohamed, had been arrested on June 13th 2001, released on the same day and ordered to report again on June 14th . He was then held incommunicado in solitary confinement in Kober prison, Khartoum, during seven days and then detained in another section with co-detainees five other days. He was released on June 26th. He had reportedly not been tortured or ill- treated during his detention, but the authorities had confiscated from him the above described belongings. He had already announced that he would ask for their restitution. Mr. Faisal Albagir had also reportedly been interrogated about other members of SVTG during his detention.
Faisal Albagir is a well known journalist and active member of the SVTG network inside Sudan. He has strong contacts with international human rights organisations and the human rights community inside Sudan. Last year he was accredited by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), to attend the 52nd session of the UN Sub Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
i.guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Faisal Albagir under all circumstances;
ii.put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organisations, and ensure that they are allowed to carry out their work without obstacles;
iii.ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the UN on December 9th 1998, especially with respect to the protection of the right of all persons, "...individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" (Art.1.) as well as the duty of the State to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration" (Art.12.2);
iv.ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses :
· His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al- Bashir, President of the
Republic of Sudan, People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Telex:
22385 PEPLC SD or 22411 KAID SD- Fax: +249 11 771 7 24
· Mr Ali Osman Yasin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of
Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Telex:22459 KHRJA SD or 22461 KHRJA SD (via Ministry of Foreign Affairs) - Fax: +249 11 7740 63
· Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Telex: 22459 KHRJA SD or 22461 KHRJASD - Fax: 249 11 7740 63
Paris - Geneva, November 2, 2001
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT, is committed to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and strives to offer them support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line :
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and Fax FIDH: +33 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and Fax OMCT : +41 22 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
New information
SDN 004/0106/OBS 054.2
Continuing harassment and material confiscation
Sudan
November 2, 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT, has received new information regarding the situation in Sudan.
New Information :
The Observatory has been informed by the Sudanese Victims of Torture Group (SVTG) of the continuing harassment of Faisal Albagir Mohamed in Sudan.
According to the information received, Mr. Faisal Albagir Mohamed, member of the SVTG inside Sudan and of the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights, was ordered by the security forces to report for interrogation on Monday 29th October 2001. He has been there interrogated during two hours about his activities with the SVTG and the Khartoum Centre. He has also been questioned about the petition and complaints he wrote to the Minister of Justice, in which he asked for the restitution of his personal belongings, confiscated in June 2001. These belongings include his motorcycle, a PC, a printer, a fax, several books and personal documents.
On October 16th 2001, Faisal had already been interrogated on the same issues by the security forces.
The Observatory expresses its concerns about the ongoing harassment of Mr. Faisal Albagir Mohamed and the confiscation of his belongings, both aimed at hindering his work as a human rights activist.
The Observatory would also like to underline that those acts of harassment are taking place just after that the Sudanese government instructed on 18th October the human rights and cultural centres whose activities had been suspended or placed under heavy surveillance at the beginning of October – among whom the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights – to resume their activities. The Observatory took good note of this information but was still concerned by the fact that the government also stated that all the centres would remain under continued surveillance. The present information seems to confirm this allegation.
Brief reminder of the situation
Faisal Albagir Mohamed, had been arrested on June 13th 2001, released on the same day and ordered to report again on June 14th . He was then held incommunicado in solitary confinement in Kober prison, Khartoum, during seven days and then detained in another section with co-detainees five other days. He was released on June 26th. He had reportedly not been tortured or ill- treated during his detention, but the authorities had confiscated from him the above described belongings. He had already announced that he would ask for their restitution. Mr. Faisal Albagir had also reportedly been interrogated about other members of SVTG during his detention.
Faisal Albagir is a well known journalist and active member of the SVTG network inside Sudan. He has strong contacts with international human rights organisations and the human rights community inside Sudan. Last year he was accredited by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), to attend the 52nd session of the UN Sub Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
i.guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Faisal Albagir under all circumstances;
ii.put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organisations, and ensure that they are allowed to carry out their work without obstacles;
iii.ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the UN on December 9th 1998, especially with respect to the protection of the right of all persons, "...individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" (Art.1.) as well as the duty of the State to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration" (Art.12.2);
iv.ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses :
· His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al- Bashir, President of the
Republic of Sudan, People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Telex:
22385 PEPLC SD or 22411 KAID SD- Fax: +249 11 771 7 24
· Mr Ali Osman Yasin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of
Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Telex:22459 KHRJA SD or 22461 KHRJA SD (via Ministry of Foreign Affairs) - Fax: +249 11 7740 63
· Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Telex: 22459 KHRJA SD or 22461 KHRJASD - Fax: 249 11 7740 63
Paris - Geneva, November 2, 2001
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint programme of FIDH and OMCT, is committed to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and strives to offer them support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line :
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and Fax FIDH: +33 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and Fax OMCT : +41 22 809 49 39 / 809 49 29