Sudan
22.03.04
Urgent Interventions
Sudan: torture and possible death sentence for a member of parliament and a veterinary doctor
Case SDN 220304
Incommunicado detention / Torture / Death penalty
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 Sudanese Organisation against Torture, a member of the OMCT network, of the incommunicado detention and torture of Member of Parliament Mr. Ali Hussain Dossa and Dr. Ali Ahmed Dawood in Darfur, Sudan.
According to the information received, security forces arrested 42-year old Member of Parliament Mr. Ali Hussain Dossa from the Zaghawa tribe and 40-year old a veterinary doctor Ali Ahmed Dawood from the Tanjour tribe on March 15th, 2004. They were arrested at Mr. Dossa's house in Hay Almatar, north Nyala, with about 20 other individuals, mainly from Zaghawa and Fur tribes, during a meeting on the situation in Darfur. They were arrested on suspicion of supporting the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), one of the main rebel groups in Darfur.
It was reported that sophisticated electronic equipment, including bugging devices, was found at the victim's home. Experts from Khartoum are to depart to Nyala to examine the devices. It must be noted that the confiscated equipment included a fax, mobile and other computer equipment that belonged to Mr. Dossa's sister, a woman activist working on gender issues at the Madina Centre for Gender and Development, whose office was closed down by the authorities in February 2004, requiring her to store the equipment in her brother's home.
Mr. Dossa and Dr. Dawood remain in detention at the security's offices in Nyala while the others have reportedly been released. It was alleged that both men have been tortured, including being lashed with a water hose, and kicked and punched to the point of needing medical treatment. They have reportedly received medical treatment as a result. They have been charged with spying for the SLA, which is punishable by death. Dr. Dawood's family have only been allowed to see him once, and neither victim have had access to a lawyer.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by the incommunicado detention and torture of Ali Hussain Dossa and Dr. Ali Ahmed Dawood and urges the Government of Sudan to take all necessary measures to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity. OMCT is concerned that they remain at risk of being subjected to further torture, notably given their restricted access to family members and legal representation. OMCT is also gravely concerned that they may face the death penalty. In addition, OMCT urges the Sudanese government: to ensure the victims' access to family visits and legal representation; to order their immediate release in the absence of legal charges that are consistent with international law and standards; to order an impartial investigation into these events, notably the allegations of torture; to bring the perpetrators to justice and to award adequate reparation to the victims.
Background
The situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate; approximately 700,000 people have been displaced, over 110,000 crossed the border to neighbouring Chad and scores have been killed due to the ongoing fighting in the region. Unfortunately, the failure of the peace negotiations in December 2003 between the Government of Sudan (GoS) oS and the SLA in N'djamena, Chad, has led to the continuation of the conflict in Darfur and the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the region. All parties involved in the conflict, including government sponsored militias and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), have resumed fighting. Due to the GoS imposing severe restrictions on humanitarian relief organisations, the refugees are being placed in extreme danger. The GoS has also restricted the media from reporting on the conflict from within Darfur.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Ali Hussain Dossa and Dr. Ali Ahmed Dawood;
ii. order their immediate release in the absence of legal charges that are consistent with international law and standards, or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events, notably the allegations of torture, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iv. guarantee that Ali Hussain Dossa and Dr. Ali Ahmed Dawood are granted access to legal representation and family visits;
v. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· President of the Republic of Sudan, His Excellency Lieutenant-General Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President' s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +24911 771024 / 771651 / 779977
· First Vice-President, Mr Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, People's Palace PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax : + 249 11 779977 / 771025
· Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 11 771479
· Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax :+249 11 779383
· Advisory Council for Human Rights, Dr Yasir Sid Ahmed, PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 11 779173 / 770883
· Minister of Internal Affairs, Major General Abdul-Rahim Muhammed Hussein, Ministry of Interior, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 11 774339 / 776554 / 777900 / 773046 / 770186
· Minister of Federal Government, Dr Nafie Ali Nafie, Office of the Presidents People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax : +24911 771651 / 783223
· Governor of North Darfur, General Ibrahim Sulayman, c/o People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 731 42696
· 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; mission.sudan@bluewin.ch.
Please also write to the embassies of Sudan in your respective country.
Geneva, March 22, 2004
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Incommunicado detention / Torture / Death penalty
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 Sudanese Organisation against Torture, a member of the OMCT network, of the incommunicado detention and torture of Member of Parliament Mr. Ali Hussain Dossa and Dr. Ali Ahmed Dawood in Darfur, Sudan.
According to the information received, security forces arrested 42-year old Member of Parliament Mr. Ali Hussain Dossa from the Zaghawa tribe and 40-year old a veterinary doctor Ali Ahmed Dawood from the Tanjour tribe on March 15th, 2004. They were arrested at Mr. Dossa's house in Hay Almatar, north Nyala, with about 20 other individuals, mainly from Zaghawa and Fur tribes, during a meeting on the situation in Darfur. They were arrested on suspicion of supporting the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), one of the main rebel groups in Darfur.
It was reported that sophisticated electronic equipment, including bugging devices, was found at the victim's home. Experts from Khartoum are to depart to Nyala to examine the devices. It must be noted that the confiscated equipment included a fax, mobile and other computer equipment that belonged to Mr. Dossa's sister, a woman activist working on gender issues at the Madina Centre for Gender and Development, whose office was closed down by the authorities in February 2004, requiring her to store the equipment in her brother's home.
Mr. Dossa and Dr. Dawood remain in detention at the security's offices in Nyala while the others have reportedly been released. It was alleged that both men have been tortured, including being lashed with a water hose, and kicked and punched to the point of needing medical treatment. They have reportedly received medical treatment as a result. They have been charged with spying for the SLA, which is punishable by death. Dr. Dawood's family have only been allowed to see him once, and neither victim have had access to a lawyer.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned by the incommunicado detention and torture of Ali Hussain Dossa and Dr. Ali Ahmed Dawood and urges the Government of Sudan to take all necessary measures to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity. OMCT is concerned that they remain at risk of being subjected to further torture, notably given their restricted access to family members and legal representation. OMCT is also gravely concerned that they may face the death penalty. In addition, OMCT urges the Sudanese government: to ensure the victims' access to family visits and legal representation; to order their immediate release in the absence of legal charges that are consistent with international law and standards; to order an impartial investigation into these events, notably the allegations of torture; to bring the perpetrators to justice and to award adequate reparation to the victims.
Background
The situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate; approximately 700,000 people have been displaced, over 110,000 crossed the border to neighbouring Chad and scores have been killed due to the ongoing fighting in the region. Unfortunately, the failure of the peace negotiations in December 2003 between the Government of Sudan (GoS) oS and the SLA in N'djamena, Chad, has led to the continuation of the conflict in Darfur and the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the region. All parties involved in the conflict, including government sponsored militias and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), have resumed fighting. Due to the GoS imposing severe restrictions on humanitarian relief organisations, the refugees are being placed in extreme danger. The GoS has also restricted the media from reporting on the conflict from within Darfur.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Ali Hussain Dossa and Dr. Ali Ahmed Dawood;
ii. order their immediate release in the absence of legal charges that are consistent with international law and standards, or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events, notably the allegations of torture, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iv. guarantee that Ali Hussain Dossa and Dr. Ali Ahmed Dawood are granted access to legal representation and family visits;
v. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· President of the Republic of Sudan, His Excellency Lieutenant-General Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President' s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +24911 771024 / 771651 / 779977
· First Vice-President, Mr Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, People's Palace PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax : + 249 11 779977 / 771025
· Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 11 771479
· Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax :+249 11 779383
· Advisory Council for Human Rights, Dr Yasir Sid Ahmed, PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 11 779173 / 770883
· Minister of Internal Affairs, Major General Abdul-Rahim Muhammed Hussein, Ministry of Interior, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 11 774339 / 776554 / 777900 / 773046 / 770186
· Minister of Federal Government, Dr Nafie Ali Nafie, Office of the Presidents People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax : +24911 771651 / 783223
· Governor of North Darfur, General Ibrahim Sulayman, c/o People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 731 42696
· 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; mission.sudan@bluewin.ch.
Please also write to the embassies of Sudan in your respective country.
Geneva, March 22, 2004
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.