Sudan
24.06.03
Urgent Interventions

Sudan: arrest and torture of three men

Case SDN 240603
Arbitrary arrest and detention / 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 Sudanese Organisation against Torture, a member of the OMCT network, of the arbitrary arrest and torture of Mohamed Sidiq Al-Zaybir, Shazly ‘Abd Alfattah Ibrahim, and Ahmed Mohammedein Waadi In Sudan. These cases exemplify the systematic use of torture in secret detention centres in the country, and the increased use of these methods against certain groups, notably students in two of these cases - some twelve students have reportedly been tortured by National Security Agency personnel in the last three weeks.

On June 16th, 2003, Mr. Al-Zaybir, a 23-year-old third year student in the Art Faculty at Khartoum University, was leaving the student residence halls at 8:00 am, when he was hit on the head and taken to a Toyota truck by a group of between nine and eleven people. He was thrown onto the floor of the truck and tied up. After approximately twenty minutes Mr. Al-Zaybir was blindfolded and placed in the front seat of the truck. They stopped at a building that Mr. AL-Zaybir later discovered houses the offices of the National Security Agency (NSA), near Al-Farouqh Cemetery. He was led away from the truck and people began hitting and kicking him. Mr. Al-Zaybir was then reportedly dragged to a room on the fourth floor containing a chair and a naked wire that was connected to an electricity supply. Five or six individuals began to beat him as they questioned him about the Democratic Front for Sudanese Students (DFSS) and particular individuals. An officer arrived and stopped the beating. He then reportedly questioned Mr. AL-Zaybir about the DFSS and certain people and began to beat Mr. Al-Zaybir with a water hose when he claimed no knowledge of the group or the people. Mr. AL-Zaybir passed out but was revived with an electric shock.

The beatings lasted from approximately 8:20 am to 2:00 pm and from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Mr. Al-Zaybir continued to be questioned about the DFSS and other persons. His interrogators threatened to kill him, and every time he passed out from the beatings, he was forced awake by electric shocks and blows to the soles of his feet. At approximately 7:00 pm, the officer returned, accompanied by five other people. Mr. Al-Zaybir was put into a car and thirty minutes later was thrown out onto Al Jamhoria Street. On the day of his release Mr. Al-Zaybir received a medical report completed after an examination by Dr. Osman Bashir Mohamed. The report described Mr. Al-Zaybir's injuries as including the following: severe bruising around both eyes; bruising and swelling on the right side of the forehead; a cut on the right ear; major swelling behind the left ear; a deep, 3cm-long cut on the back; a 4cm-long cut on the left shoulder; 3cm circular burns on the left hand; 3cm circular burns on the soles of the right and left feet; bruising on the inside of the elbow and surface burns on the right forearm.

Here follow another two cases that further exemplify the systematic use of torture in Sudan. Mr. Ibrahim is a 21-year-old, third-year law student at Al-Nilein University affiliated with the Democratic Front. Mr. Ibrahim was arrested at midnight on May 28th, 2003. A police patrol consisting of six officers stopped and searched Mr. Ibrahim. Having reportedly found documents belonging to the Democratic Front, they arrested Mr. Ibrahim and brought him to a house between May and East Kalakala streets. He was detained and interrogated there until May 31st, 2003. Mr. Ibrahim was beaten with electric cables and strangled with a wire during his detention. On My 31st Mr. Ibrahim was transferred to an NSA building on University Street and then moved again to the building near Farouqh Cemetery, where he was tortured by four security officers. The officers beat Mr. Ibrahim with sticks and hit his head against the wall until he passed out. Mr. Ibrahim was again moved, this time to a building in the Amaraat area. He was detained there until June 2nd, the date of his release. Mr. Ibrahim was told not to visit a doctor or contact any human rights organisations or he would be arrested again. Mr. Ibrahim did visit D. Ahmad Hamad, who confirmed Mr. Ibrahim’s injuries, reporting that his: right foot was swollen; nose and left leg injured; back and forehead and his left ear severely bruised; and left ear was cut and bruised.

Separately, Mr. Waadi is a 35-year-old self-employed owner of a pharmaceutical store. He was arrested by approximately fourteen members of the Security Force from his store on May 6th, 2003. Mr. Waadi was driven to the Security Force offices in Maleet, where he was questioned about any relationship he had with the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA). He was brought to a 3m x 3m room and his hands were tied behind his back. Mr. Waadi was severely beaten by five people using whips, electrical wires, and their hands and feet until he passed out. They continued to beat Mr. Waadi and when he came to, they threatened to rape his wife and sisters. Mr. Waadi remained in the Maleet barracks for two days. He was only able to leave the cell once, to use the bathroom. Mr. Waadi was then moved to Al-Fasher City’s Military Intelligence buildings, where he remained in a 5m x 5m cell for three more days. Mr. Waadi shared his cell with three other detainees, ‘Abdallah ‘Ali, Idris Hamed, and Ibrahim Mustafa. They were randomly beaten, often in response to requests such as asking to use the toilet or asking for water. Mr. Waadi was threatened with rape during this period. The detainees were then transferred to a military prison. Upon arrival, each detainee was whipped 10 or 15 times, and then placed in a 4m x 4m cell. Mr. Waadi spent seven days in the military prison. The light and ventilation in the crowded cell were poor. The detainees were given water, bread and salt twice a day, and only allowed to go to the bathroom once a day. Mr. Waadi was released on May 18th, 2003, and is currently receiving treatment for the injuries that he sustained during the beatings to his face and back.

The International Secretariat is gravely concerned by the reports of arbitrary arrests and the use of torture on Mr. Al-Zaybir, Mr. Ibrahim, and Mr. Waadi, and the systematic nature of the use of torture in Sudan that their cases exemplify. OMCT calls on the Sudanese government to order an immediate inquiry into the allegations of torture in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial, and apply the penal and administrative sanctions that are provided for by law. OMCT also calls on the Sudanese government to guarantee reparation for the afore-mentioned victims of torture, including appropriate medical assistance.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:

i. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
ii. guarantee adequate reparation to all injured persons;
iii. intervene with the proper authorities to ensure that adequate medical assistance is provided as a matter of urgency to any of the afore-mentioned victims of torture that require it;
iv. immediately halt the harassment and repression of students;
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

· His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, People’s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 783223
· Mr Ali Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Fax: + 24911 788941
· Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: 24911 779383
· Dr Yasir Sid Ahmed, Advisory Council for Human Rights, PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 770883
· His Excellency Ambassador Mr Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim, Permanent Mission of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 335, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax : +4122 7312656. E-mail: mission.sudan@ties.itu.int

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

Geneva, June 24th, 2003

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