Sudan
31.01.01
Urgent Interventions
Sudan: 19 men to have right hand and left foot amputated tomorrow
Case SDN 310101
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 received information from the Sudanese Victims of Torture Group (SVTG), a member of the OMCT network, that 5 men have had their limbs amputated while 19 others are awaiting the same amputation sentence, to be carried out tomorrow on 1 February 2001, under Article 174 of the Criminal Act, 1991. The individuals, all men, are held in Kober prison and according to their lawyers, all chances of appeal or national remedy have been exhausted.
On January 23, the five men from Darfour, Western Sudan and named as, Ibrahim Gumai, Omer Salim, Salih Omer, Abakar Jalab, Dafa Alla Mowloudi. were checked by a doctor prior to the amputation as is "procedure" in Sudanese prisons. The rights hands and left legs of these men were then amputated on Thursday 25th January and Saturday 27th January.
OMCT and SVTG are deeply concerned that the Government of Sudan has once again resumed the punishment of amputation. This punishment is against the Government of Sudan's international obligations, with regards to Article 5 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7 of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in Article 5 that 'No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.' The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states in Article 7: 'No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.'
The use of amputation as a punishment is also prohibited under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which has also been ratified by Sudan. OMCT recalls the concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee: Sudan (1997) that ‘By ratifying the Covenant [on Civil and Political Rights], the State party has undertaken to comply with all its articles; penalties which are inconsistent with articles 7 and 10 must be abolished.’
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to ensure that the sentence of amputation against the above-mentioned 19 persons is not carried out;
ii. immediately stop the inhuman practice of amputation and abolish the use of amputation as a method of punishment, which is enacted within the Sudanese Criminal Act 1991;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, and conform to all recommendations made by the Human Rights Committee.
Addresses
His Excellency Lieutenant Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 787676/783223.
Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Telegrams: Justice Minister, Khartoum, Sudan
Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 779383.
Dr Ahmad al-Mufti, Advisory Council for Human Rights, PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan.
Fax: + 24911 779173
The Diplomatic Representatives of Sudan in your country.
Geneva, 31 January 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
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 received information from the Sudanese Victims of Torture Group (SVTG), a member of the OMCT network, that 5 men have had their limbs amputated while 19 others are awaiting the same amputation sentence, to be carried out tomorrow on 1 February 2001, under Article 174 of the Criminal Act, 1991. The individuals, all men, are held in Kober prison and according to their lawyers, all chances of appeal or national remedy have been exhausted.
On January 23, the five men from Darfour, Western Sudan and named as, Ibrahim Gumai, Omer Salim, Salih Omer, Abakar Jalab, Dafa Alla Mowloudi. were checked by a doctor prior to the amputation as is "procedure" in Sudanese prisons. The rights hands and left legs of these men were then amputated on Thursday 25th January and Saturday 27th January.
OMCT and SVTG are deeply concerned that the Government of Sudan has once again resumed the punishment of amputation. This punishment is against the Government of Sudan's international obligations, with regards to Article 5 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7 of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in Article 5 that 'No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.' The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states in Article 7: 'No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.'
The use of amputation as a punishment is also prohibited under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which has also been ratified by Sudan. OMCT recalls the concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee: Sudan (1997) that ‘By ratifying the Covenant [on Civil and Political Rights], the State party has undertaken to comply with all its articles; penalties which are inconsistent with articles 7 and 10 must be abolished.’
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to ensure that the sentence of amputation against the above-mentioned 19 persons is not carried out;
ii. immediately stop the inhuman practice of amputation and abolish the use of amputation as a method of punishment, which is enacted within the Sudanese Criminal Act 1991;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, and conform to all recommendations made by the Human Rights Committee.
Addresses
His Excellency Lieutenant Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 787676/783223.
Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Telegrams: Justice Minister, Khartoum, Sudan
Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 779383.
Dr Ahmad al-Mufti, Advisory Council for Human Rights, PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan.
Fax: + 24911 779173
The Diplomatic Representatives of Sudan in your country.
Geneva, 31 January 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.