Sudan
28.07.04
Urgent Interventions
Arbitrary arrests / Torture
Case SDN 280704
Arbitrary Arrests / 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 detention and torture of Mr. Taj Al Sir Hassan Ibrahim and Mr. Mohamed Is'haq Abd Allah Osman.
According to information received, on 22 July 2004 at 10.30 am, four officers from the National Security Agency (NSA) and Military Intelligence arrested Mr. Taj Al Sir Hassan Ibrahim (25yrs, a 4th year student at Sharq Al Neilen University, Faculty of Economics, and a member of the Student Democratic Front) at the entrance of the Faculty of Economics at Sharq Al Neilen University, Khartoum North. He was blindfolded and taken to an unknown location. Whilst in detention, Mr. Taj Al Sir was allegedly subjected to torture: his hands were tied up, and he was punched, kicked and beaten using belts and plastic hoses from 11 am until 11 pm. He was also threatened with rape. Mr. Taj Al Sir was released the following day, on 23 July 2004 at 12.30 am; his mobile telephone and his ID card were confiscated. The officers questioned Mr Taj Al Sir regarding the coming student association elections at the Faculty of Economics and some of the candidates on the list for the Student Democratic Front. Mr Taj Al Sir has launched legal proceedings against the perpetrators.
In another incident, on 4 July 2004, three officers of the NSA and the Military Intelligence arrested Mr. Mohamed Is'haq Abd Allah Osman (21 yrs, a 3rd year Electrical Engineering Student, Engineering Faculty, University of Sudan, and a member of the Student Democratic Front) at the central bus station in Alsouq Al Arabi (Arabic Market), in Khartoum. He was taken blindfolded in a white car to an unknown location. Whilst in detention, Mr. Mohamed Is'haq was allegedly beaten with electric wires, strangled, punched, kicked, and threatened with rape. The beating continued until 4 am. He was reportedly questioned regarding the activities of the Student Democratic Front and the locations of some of his colleagues, and he was asked to cooperate with the NSA. He was coerced into signing a white paper containing his fingerprints. Mr Mohamed Is'haq was released and taken to his house at 4:30 am the following day, Monday, 5 July 2004.
According to the information received, in recent months there has been an increase in the number of students and activists subjected to arbitrary arrest and torture by the security forces.
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 Mr. Taj Al Sir Hassan Ibrahim and Mr. Mohamed Is'haq Abd Allah Osman;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of their arrest and any allegations of torture and/or ill treatment, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. guarantee that adequate reparation is provided to the victims of these abuses;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
Arbitrary Arrests / 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 detention and torture of Mr. Taj Al Sir Hassan Ibrahim and Mr. Mohamed Is'haq Abd Allah Osman.
According to information received, on 22 July 2004 at 10.30 am, four officers from the National Security Agency (NSA) and Military Intelligence arrested Mr. Taj Al Sir Hassan Ibrahim (25yrs, a 4th year student at Sharq Al Neilen University, Faculty of Economics, and a member of the Student Democratic Front) at the entrance of the Faculty of Economics at Sharq Al Neilen University, Khartoum North. He was blindfolded and taken to an unknown location. Whilst in detention, Mr. Taj Al Sir was allegedly subjected to torture: his hands were tied up, and he was punched, kicked and beaten using belts and plastic hoses from 11 am until 11 pm. He was also threatened with rape. Mr. Taj Al Sir was released the following day, on 23 July 2004 at 12.30 am; his mobile telephone and his ID card were confiscated. The officers questioned Mr Taj Al Sir regarding the coming student association elections at the Faculty of Economics and some of the candidates on the list for the Student Democratic Front. Mr Taj Al Sir has launched legal proceedings against the perpetrators.
In another incident, on 4 July 2004, three officers of the NSA and the Military Intelligence arrested Mr. Mohamed Is'haq Abd Allah Osman (21 yrs, a 3rd year Electrical Engineering Student, Engineering Faculty, University of Sudan, and a member of the Student Democratic Front) at the central bus station in Alsouq Al Arabi (Arabic Market), in Khartoum. He was taken blindfolded in a white car to an unknown location. Whilst in detention, Mr. Mohamed Is'haq was allegedly beaten with electric wires, strangled, punched, kicked, and threatened with rape. The beating continued until 4 am. He was reportedly questioned regarding the activities of the Student Democratic Front and the locations of some of his colleagues, and he was asked to cooperate with the NSA. He was coerced into signing a white paper containing his fingerprints. Mr Mohamed Is'haq was released and taken to his house at 4:30 am the following day, Monday, 5 July 2004.
According to the information received, in recent months there has been an increase in the number of students and activists subjected to arbitrary arrest and torture by the security forces.
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 Mr. Taj Al Sir Hassan Ibrahim and Mr. Mohamed Is'haq Abd Allah Osman;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of their arrest and any allegations of torture and/or ill treatment, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. guarantee that adequate reparation is provided to the victims of these abuses;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country 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: + 249 183 783223 - Mr. Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General,
Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Fax: + 249 183 788941 - Mr. Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Ministry of Foreign Affair, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan.
Fax: + 249 183 779383 - Dr. Abdelmuneim Osman Mohamed Taha,
Advisory Council for Human Rights, PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan.
Fax: + 249 183 770883 - His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Mohamed Al- Hassan Ahmed Al-Haj,
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 embassies of Sudan in your respective country.
Geneva, 28 July 2004
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
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