Sudan: Four girls may face hanging

Case SDN 210306. CC - Case SDN 210306.VAW

Attempted Rape / Arbitrary Detention

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, that Ms. Amouna Mohamed Ahmed (17), Ms. Fayza Ismail Abaker (16), Ms. Houda Ismail Abdel Rahman (17) and Ms. Zahra Adam Abdella (17) were arrested on 7 March 2006, by police forces in Seraif IDP camp, Hay AlGeer, West Nyala, Southern Dafur. All four girls are IDP’s, who live in Seraif IDP camp and are from the Fur tribe.

According to the information received, the four girls were attacked by two armed militias in uniform whilst collecting firewood outside the camp on 7 March 2006, around 11:30am. During the attack, one of the men assulted one of the girls and attempted to rape her. When the girl resisted, the man began to beat her. In defence, she grabbed the knife she had been using to cut the firewood and stabbed the attacker in the stomach. The four girls then managed to escape and returned to Seraif camp.

Allegedly the girls reported the incident to police officers inside the camp who refused to file the case. In the afternoon of the same day, police officers inside the camp were told of the death of a stabbing victim. It is reported that this person is the man who was stabbed by the girl. Following this news, the police officers immediately arrested the four girls on suspicion of murder. The girls were initially taken to Nyala Shamal police station, where they were detained for five days and charged with murder under article 190 of the 1991 Penal Code. On 11 March 2006, they were transferred to Nyaka Wasat (Central) police station, headquarters of the police in Nyala where they are currently being detained. If convicted, the girls may face death by hanging.

OMCT expresses its grave concerns over these events and would like to recall Sudan as a state party of the Convention on the Rights of the Child stating that under article 37 (a) “Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age” and under article 37 (c), “every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age”.

Requested Action

Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
i. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity in any circumstance of Ms. Amouna Mohamed Ahmed, Ms. Fayza Ismail Abaker, Ms. Houda Ismail Abdel Rahman and Mrs. Zahra Adam Abdella;
ii. Order the immediate release of Ms. Amouna Mohamed Ahmed, Ms. Fayza Ismail Abaker, Ms. Houda Ismail Abdel Rahman and Ms. Zahra Adam Abdella in the absence of valid legal charges, and if such charges exist, ensure that they are given a prompt and fair trial, in which their procedural rights are guaranteed at all times;
iii. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iv. Ensure women and girls the right to be free from discrimination, including violence, in line with the international laws and standards;
v. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international humanitarian law and human rights standards.

Addresses

• His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, Presidential Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 183 783 223
  
  
• Mr. Al Zubeir Beshir Taha, Minister of Interior, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 779383
  
  
• Mr. Mustafa Lam Akol Ajawin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, fax : + 249 183 779 383
  
  
• Dr. Abdelmuneim Osman Mohamed Taha, Rapporteur, Advisory Council for Human Rights, PO Box 302, Khartoum (Sudan), Fax No.: + 249 183 77 08 83
  
  
• His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, First Vice-President, People’s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 771025
  
  
• His Excellency Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, Vice-President, People’s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 771025
  
  
• Dr. Abdelmuneim Osman Mohamed Taha, Advisory Council for Human Rights, PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 77088
  
  
• Mr. Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 788 941
  
  
• His Excellence Ambassador Mr. Mohamed Elhassan Ahmed Elhaj, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, Avenue Blanc 47, 1202 Geneva, PO Box 335, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 731 26 56, Email: mission.sudan@bluewin.ch; mission.sudan@ties.itu.int

Please also write to the embassies of Sudan in your respective country.

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Geneva, 21 March 2006

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.