Sudan
14.02.01
Urgent Interventions
Sudan: arrest of a lawyer and human rights defender
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
SDN 001 / 0201 / OBS 014
Arrest
Sudan
14th February 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Sudan.
Brief description of the information :
The Observatory has been informed by the Sudanese Victims of Torture Group (SVTG) that Osman Yousif, a lawyer and human rights defender, was arrested on 13 February 2001, at 1pm from his office in Khartoum. The Security Forces searched his office and confiscated his computer and papers concerning him and his clients.
His arrest comes after the Democratic Front for Lawyers issued a memorandum regarding the bar association elections, in which the current laws restricting freedom of expression and association were criticised.
Osman Yousif is a well known human rights defender. He provides free counselling for prisoners of conscience and vicitms of human rights violations and was one of the lawyers campaigning for the release of Gazi Suliman (See urgent appeal SDN 001 / 0012 / OBS 127). The whereabouts of Osman Yousif is currently unknown.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of Sudan urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to locate Mr Osman Yousif and guarantee his physical and psychological integrity;
ii. order his immediate release, in the absence of valid charges or in case of valid charges ensure the right to a fair and impartial trial and guarantee the right to legal counsel at all times;
iii. ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the UN on December 9th 1998, especially with respect to the protection of the right of all persons, "...individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" (Art.1.) as well as the duty of the State to ensure “the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration" (Art.12.2);
iv. ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with 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. Telex : 22385 PEPLC SD or 22411 KAID SD - Fax : (+249 11) 71 7 24
Mr. Abd al-Basit Sabdarat, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Telex : 22459 KHRJA SD or 22461 KHRJA SD (via Ministry of Foreign Affairs) - Fax : (+249 11) 740 63
Mr. Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan. Telex : 22459 KHRJA SD or 22461 KHRJA SD - Fax : (+249 11) 740 63
The Diplomatic Representatives of Sudan in your country.
Geneva-Paris, 15 February 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: Fax: + 033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel: FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
SDN 001 / 0201 / OBS 014
Arrest
Sudan
14th February 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Sudan.
Brief description of the information :
The Observatory has been informed by the Sudanese Victims of Torture Group (SVTG) that Osman Yousif, a lawyer and human rights defender, was arrested on 13 February 2001, at 1pm from his office in Khartoum. The Security Forces searched his office and confiscated his computer and papers concerning him and his clients.
His arrest comes after the Democratic Front for Lawyers issued a memorandum regarding the bar association elections, in which the current laws restricting freedom of expression and association were criticised.
Osman Yousif is a well known human rights defender. He provides free counselling for prisoners of conscience and vicitms of human rights violations and was one of the lawyers campaigning for the release of Gazi Suliman (See urgent appeal SDN 001 / 0012 / OBS 127). The whereabouts of Osman Yousif is currently unknown.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of Sudan urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to locate Mr Osman Yousif and guarantee his physical and psychological integrity;
ii. order his immediate release, in the absence of valid charges or in case of valid charges ensure the right to a fair and impartial trial and guarantee the right to legal counsel at all times;
iii. ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the UN on December 9th 1998, especially with respect to the protection of the right of all persons, "...individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" (Art.1.) as well as the duty of the State to ensure “the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration" (Art.12.2);
iv. ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with 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. Telex : 22385 PEPLC SD or 22411 KAID SD - Fax : (+249 11) 71 7 24
Mr. Abd al-Basit Sabdarat, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Telex : 22459 KHRJA SD or 22461 KHRJA SD (via Ministry of Foreign Affairs) - Fax : (+249 11) 740 63
Mr. Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan. Telex : 22459 KHRJA SD or 22461 KHRJA SD - Fax : (+249 11) 740 63
The Diplomatic Representatives of Sudan in your country.
Geneva-Paris, 15 February 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: Fax: + 033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel: FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch