Sudan: Wave of arbitrary arrests and judicial proceedings against political activists in Khartoum and Kosti

Case SDN 070906
Ill-treatments / Arbitrary arrests and detentions / Releases / Judicial proceedings / Death

Geneva, September 7, 2006

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (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 a number of arbitrary arrests and judicial proceedings against political activists who held a peaceful demonstration in Khartoum on August 30, 2006.

According to the information received, on August 30, 2006, a demonstration was organised in the “green tomb square” (previously “UN square”), in Khartoum, by a coalition of political opposition parties and civil society groups including the Communist Party, the Umma Party, the Democratic Unionist Party, the New Democratic Forces Party (HAQ), the Arab Nassrist Party, and a number of trade unions. The aim of the demonstration was to protest against rising prices in petroleum and sugar ahead of a memorandum the organisers were planning to submit to the President.

It is reported that hundreds of Sudanese police and security forces violently broke up the peaceful demonstration, blocked access to the square, and closed access roads. Eyewitness accounts suggest that protestors were beaten and dispersed by armed riot police who shelled the area with tear gas. Mr. Sidig Mahgoub Munawar, a 62 year-old man, later suffocated to death from the effects of the gas.

During the incident, at least 35 protestors and bystanders were arbitrarily arrested, regardless of whether or not they were participating in the demonstration. The following day, on August 31, 2006, those arrested were brought before three courts in Khartoum and charged under Articles 67 (rioting) and 69 (disturbance of public peace) of the 1991 Sudanese Penal Code. In all, 11 individuals were found guilty and 25 were released after having been found not guilty or in the absence of valid charges. Information received suggests that additional trials are ongoing.

The 11 individuals who were found guilty are the following:
1. Mr. Mohamed Suleiman Hor (25 year old), a member of the Zaghawa tribe, was sentenced to one month imprisonment. He was transferred to Omdurman prison on September 1, 2006. Moreover, since 2005 Mr. Mohamed Suleiman Hor was undergoing treatment to enable him to recover from the effects of torture at the Amel Centre for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture
2. Mr. Alamin Idris Awad, sentenced to a fine of SD. 30000 or one month imprisonment
3. Mr. Mohieldin Hasan Altahir, sentenced to a fine of SD. 30000 or one month imprisonment
4. Mr. Abdullah Abdelsalam, sentenced to a fine of SD. 30000 or one month imprisonment
5. Mr. Higazi Ali, sentenced to a fine of SD. 30000 or one month imprisonment
6. Mr. Surag -aldin Yousif, sentenced to two months imprisonment
7. Mr. Suleiman Tahir, sentenced to two months imprisonment
8. Mr. Alsadig Hassan, sentenced to a fine of SD.10000 or one month imprisonment
9. Ms. Nazik Izzeldin Abass (28 yrs), a member of the Sudanese Students Democratic Front, sentenced to a fine of SD.10000 or one month imprisonment
10. Mr. Ibrahim Atta-almannan Al-zubair (31), sentenced to SD.10000 or one month imprisonment
11. Mr. Mohamed Omer Idris, member of Umma Party, sentenced to one month imprisonment.

Details of the 25 individuals who were released either found not guilty or in the absence of valid charges follow:
1. Mr. Abdelgadir Mubarak Abass (31yrs), case dropped in the absence of valid charges
2. Mr. Garang Akwanj Makol (23 yrs), law student at Juba University, case dropped in the absence of valid charges
3. Mr. Hatim Alamin Gadane (30 yrs), case dropped in the absence of valid charges
4. Mr. Mohamed Badawi Gurashi (18 yrs), worker in Printing Press Company, case dropped in the absence of valid charges
5. Mr. Abu-obaida Ibrahim Musalam (32 yrs), religious councillor, case dropped in the absence of valid charges
6. Mr. Ahmed Ezairig Ahmed (30 yrs), retailer, Souq Libya, Omdurman Market, case dropped in the absence of valid charges
7. Ms. Iman Mohamed Abdelraheem (26 yrs), agricultural engineer, found not guilty
8. Ms. Zakia Mohamed Siddig (25 yrs), university graduate teacher working in an English language institute, found not guilty
9. Mr. Nagi Mahgoub Mohamed, found not guilty
10. Mr. Ibrahim Alsafi, member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), released in the absence of valid charges
11. Mr. Mamoun Yousif Almamoun, member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), released in the absence of valid charges
12. Dr. Mohamed Yaquob Shadad, teaching staff, Colleague of Engineering, University of Khartoum, released in the absence of valid charges
13. 13 students from Khartoum University, released in the absence of valid charges.


Moreover, in the early hours of August 30, 2006, just prior to the demonstration, four prominent activists of various political parties and one journalist were arrested in Khartoum, and later taken to Khartoum North security offices (Political Section). Mr. Sattiaa Mohamed Alhag, lawyer and member of the Arab Nassrist Party, and Mr. Alhag Warrag Sid Ahmed, column writer with the Alsahafa daily and former Chairperson of “The New Forces Movement” (HAQ), were detained without interrogation for ten hours and released without charge on the same day. However, no information is available regarding the whereabouts of the remaining three detainees: Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed Alsheikh, member of the Sudanese National Congress Party, Mr. Alfatih Omer Alsaied, member of the Sudanese National Congress Party, and Mr. Mohamed Dia-aldin, member of the Baathist Arab Party.

Furthermore, the same coalition of political opposition parties and civil society groups were planning a second demonstration in Kosti on September 2, 2006. However, around 6:00 pm on September 1, 2006, four members of the Communist Party of Sudan were arrested by security forces in Kosti while advertising the demonstration over a loudspeaker system from a car, even though they had secured prior permission to make public announcements. The four men, namely Mr. Amar Elsir Ahmed, Mr. Mustafa Abas Hassan, Mr. Marwa and Mr. Mudather, were taken to the offices of the National Security in Kosti, where they were interrogated for three to four hours, before being released without charge. That same evening, the organisers were informed by the Security Committee in Kosti that permission to hold the protest on the next day had been withdrawn for security reasons.

The International Secretariat of OMCT expresses its deep concern over these events, and urges the Sudanese authorities to immediately undertake its responsibility to disseminate the Bill of Rights guaranteed by the Interim Constitution across the country and to its security apparatus, including Article 40 (1) which states that “the right to peaceful assembly shall be guaranteed” and that “every person shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form or joint political parties”, as well as Article 29 that states that “no person shall be subjected to arrest, detention, deprivation or restriction of his liberty except for reasons and in accordance with procedures prescribed by law”.

Requested action:

Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
1. Locate the whereabouts of Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed Alsheikh, Mr. Alfatih Omer Alsaied and Mr. Mohamed Dia-aldi and ensure their physical and psychological integrity, as well as that of all above-mentioned persons;
2. Order the immediate release of all persons detained in the absence of valid 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;
3. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into all these events, including into the death of Mr. Sidig Mahgoub Munawar, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the civil, penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
4. Guarantee that adequate compensation is awarded to the family of Mr. Sidig Mahgoub Munawar;
5. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Sudan is a State Party since 1986.

Addresses:

• His Excellency Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, Presidential Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 183 783 223
  
  
• His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, First Vice-President, People’s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 11 779977 / 771025
  
  
• His Excellency Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, Vice-President, People’s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 77 10 25
  
  
• Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 78 07 96
  
  
• Mr Lam Akol Ajawin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs/External Relations, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 77 93 83
  
  
• Mr. Al Zubeir Beshir Taha, Minister of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Interior, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 183 77 93 83
  
  
• Dr Abdelmuneim Osman Mohamed Taha, Advisory Council for Human Rights, Rapporteur, PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 183 77 08 83
  
  
• His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Mohamed Elhassan Ahmed Elhaj, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, Avenue Blanc 47, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Tel: +41 22 731 26 63, Fax: +41 22 731 26 56, Email: mission.sudan@bluewin.ch, mission.sudan@ties.itu.int
  
  
• The Embassy of Sudan in Brussels, Mr. Ali Yousif Ahmed, Av. F.D. Roosevelt, 124, 1050 Brussels, Belgium. Tel.: + 32 2 647 51 59 / 94 94, Fax: + 32 (2) 648 34 99, Email: sudanbx@yahoo.com

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

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Geneva, September 7, 2006

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