Sudan
03.10.06
Urgent Interventions
Sudan: New acts of harassment against members of the Amel Centre
New information
SDN 005 / 0906 / OBS 109.1
Arbitrary arrests / Harassment
Sudan
October 3, 2006
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Sudan.
According to the information received, on September 16, 2006, the security forces arrested Ms. Saffaa Abdel Rahim Saror, Ms. Nafisa Mohamed Adam and Ms. Awatif Mohamed Adam, three social workers at the Amel Centre in el Fashir, North Darfur, and brought them to the offices of the National Security Bureau (NSB) in el Fashir, where they were detained for approximately six hours. During the period of their detention, the three women were interrogated about the activities of the Amel Centre and about reports on the human rights situation in Darfur that have been sent to international organisations operating outside of Sudan.
On October 2, 2006, the NSB sent an official letter summoning Ms. Saffaa Abdel Rahim Saror to report again to their offices on October 3, 2006.
The Observatory expresses its deep concern about these events, along with the recurrent pattern of harassment of human rights defenders that has emerged in Darfur and throughout Sudan over the past few months. More specifically, the members of the Amel Centre have become a target of choice for harassment and intimidation (See background information). The Observatory considers that these repeated acts of harassment, summoning and interrogation are only intended to intimidate human right defenders and to prevent them from carrying out their work.
On May 16, 2006, in the early morning, Mr. Ali was again summoned to the security offices, where he remained in detention up to May 20, 2006. Mr. Ali was denied access to his family and to legal counsel. Security officers also denied the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) to visit him. No reason was given for the summoning and the subsequent arrest and incommunicado detention of Mr. Ali.
When Mr. Ali was released on May 20, he was informed to report to the security offices the following day, at 08.00 am. On May 21, 2006, Mr. Ali reported to the security offices and was detained until 12:00pm. Before his release, he was informed to report to the security offices again the following day, 22 May 2006 (See Observatory Urgent Appeal SDN 004/0506/OBS 062.1).
Moreover, on June 30, 2006, Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Abdullah, Medical Director at the Amel Centre in Nyala, was summoned by the NSB on his mobile phone. Dr. Mohamed Ahmed responded that he was unable to report immediately as he was due to participate in meeting on the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), hosted by Omar Fur, the Minister of Agriculture in Darfur State, and that he would report to the NSB office after the meeting. At 4 pm, approximately 150 armed officers carrying heavy weapons surrounded the compound where the meeting was being held and 50 of the officers interrupted the meeting and announced that they had come to arrest Dr. Mohammed for attending an illegal meeting under the State of Emergency rules. The Army officers eventually left the meeting without arresting Dr. Mohamed Ahmed following the intervention of Omar Fur.
On July 27, 2006, Mr. Mossaad Mohamed Ali, Ms. Rasha Souraj and Ms. Ebtisam Alsemani, both volunteer lawyers at the Amel Centre, received a letter from the NSB notifying them that the Attorney General in Nyala had filed a case against them for “offences against the State”. The letter accused the defendants of sending false reports and disclosing information of military nature. The letter further warned the three lawyers that the case had been passed to the police and that they were likely to face arrests upon completion of the police investigation (See Observatory Urgent Appeal SDN 004/0506/OBS 062.2).
On August 1, 2006, Mr. Ali and Ms. Najat DafaAlla, also a volunteer lawyer at the Amel Centre, reported to the security offices where they were separated, interrogated by a police officer on the events in Otash camp, and accused of spreading false information and of being a threat to public security. It is indeed believed that the defendants were being investigated for their work in defending the rights of five people from the Otash internally displaced camp, who were detained after they had participated in a demonstration against the Darfur Peace Agreement, on May 30 and May 31, 2006. Indeed, after being informed about these arrests, the defendants had submitted a public application on June 3, 2006 to the “Security Committee” 1 requesting information on the detainees and their whereabouts. The letter also urged the Committee to release the detainees in the absence of valid charges or if valid charges exist, for them to be charged.
Before their release, Mr. Ali and Ms. DafaAlla were informed that the police would evaluate the facts and would refer the case to the Attorney General to bring the case to the courts.
Finally, on September 9, 2006, Mr. Mohamed Badawi, a human rights lawyer and Coordinator of the Amel Centre in el Fashir, was summoned by the NSB. He immediately reported to the NSB offices, where he remained for more than three hours without being interrogated. He was then released without charge but ordered to report again to the offices on the following day. On September 10, 2006, at around 9:15 am, Mr. Badawi duly reported to the NSB, where he was held until 3:00 pm. He was then interrogated by security officers about the Amel Centre’s activities, as well as its relationship with international organisations and the Communist Party, before being released without charge.
1The Security Committee is headed by the Governor of the Southern Darfur State (Wali) and made up of representatives from the Attorney General’s office, the NSB, the police forces and the armed forces.
i. guarantee under all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Saffaa Abdel Rahim Saror, Ms. Nafisa Mohamed Adam and Ms. Awatif Mohamed Adam, as well as of all members of the Amel Centre for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture;
ii. put an end to all acts of harassment and intimidation against human rights defenders in Sudan;
iii. conform with the provisions of the Declaration on Humans Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, article 5, which provides that “for the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels:(a) To meet or assemble peacefully; (b) To form, join and participate in non-governmental organizations, associations or groups; (c) To communicate with non-governmental or intergovernmental organisations”, and article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or 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”;
iv. more generally, ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Sudan in accordance with its national laws, the National Interim Constitution (2005) and international human rights standards.
Please also write to diplomatic representations of the Republic of Sudan in your respective countries.
***
Geneva - Paris, October 3, 2006
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:
E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / +33 1 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29
SDN 005 / 0906 / OBS 109.1
Arbitrary arrests / Harassment
Sudan
October 3, 2006
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Sudan.
New information:
The Observatory has been informed by the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT) about new acts of harassment against members of the Amel Centre for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture, which provides legal aid to victims of torture and sexual violence, and individuals at risk of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.According to the information received, on September 16, 2006, the security forces arrested Ms. Saffaa Abdel Rahim Saror, Ms. Nafisa Mohamed Adam and Ms. Awatif Mohamed Adam, three social workers at the Amel Centre in el Fashir, North Darfur, and brought them to the offices of the National Security Bureau (NSB) in el Fashir, where they were detained for approximately six hours. During the period of their detention, the three women were interrogated about the activities of the Amel Centre and about reports on the human rights situation in Darfur that have been sent to international organisations operating outside of Sudan.
On October 2, 2006, the NSB sent an official letter summoning Ms. Saffaa Abdel Rahim Saror to report again to their offices on October 3, 2006.
The Observatory expresses its deep concern about these events, along with the recurrent pattern of harassment of human rights defenders that has emerged in Darfur and throughout Sudan over the past few months. More specifically, the members of the Amel Centre have become a target of choice for harassment and intimidation (See background information). The Observatory considers that these repeated acts of harassment, summoning and interrogation are only intended to intimidate human right defenders and to prevent them from carrying out their work.
Background information:
On May 15, 2006, officers from the NSB in Nyala, Southern Darfur, summoned for questioning Mr. Mossaad Mohamed Ali, lawyer and Coordinator of the Amel Centre in Nyala. Mr. Ali was then detained for thirteen hours in a cell in the NSB offices in Nyala, without being neither questioned nor charged with an offence (See Observatory Urgent Appeal SDN 004/0506/OBS 062).On May 16, 2006, in the early morning, Mr. Ali was again summoned to the security offices, where he remained in detention up to May 20, 2006. Mr. Ali was denied access to his family and to legal counsel. Security officers also denied the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) to visit him. No reason was given for the summoning and the subsequent arrest and incommunicado detention of Mr. Ali.
When Mr. Ali was released on May 20, he was informed to report to the security offices the following day, at 08.00 am. On May 21, 2006, Mr. Ali reported to the security offices and was detained until 12:00pm. Before his release, he was informed to report to the security offices again the following day, 22 May 2006 (See Observatory Urgent Appeal SDN 004/0506/OBS 062.1).
Moreover, on June 30, 2006, Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Abdullah, Medical Director at the Amel Centre in Nyala, was summoned by the NSB on his mobile phone. Dr. Mohamed Ahmed responded that he was unable to report immediately as he was due to participate in meeting on the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), hosted by Omar Fur, the Minister of Agriculture in Darfur State, and that he would report to the NSB office after the meeting. At 4 pm, approximately 150 armed officers carrying heavy weapons surrounded the compound where the meeting was being held and 50 of the officers interrupted the meeting and announced that they had come to arrest Dr. Mohammed for attending an illegal meeting under the State of Emergency rules. The Army officers eventually left the meeting without arresting Dr. Mohamed Ahmed following the intervention of Omar Fur.
On July 27, 2006, Mr. Mossaad Mohamed Ali, Ms. Rasha Souraj and Ms. Ebtisam Alsemani, both volunteer lawyers at the Amel Centre, received a letter from the NSB notifying them that the Attorney General in Nyala had filed a case against them for “offences against the State”. The letter accused the defendants of sending false reports and disclosing information of military nature. The letter further warned the three lawyers that the case had been passed to the police and that they were likely to face arrests upon completion of the police investigation (See Observatory Urgent Appeal SDN 004/0506/OBS 062.2).
On August 1, 2006, Mr. Ali and Ms. Najat DafaAlla, also a volunteer lawyer at the Amel Centre, reported to the security offices where they were separated, interrogated by a police officer on the events in Otash camp, and accused of spreading false information and of being a threat to public security. It is indeed believed that the defendants were being investigated for their work in defending the rights of five people from the Otash internally displaced camp, who were detained after they had participated in a demonstration against the Darfur Peace Agreement, on May 30 and May 31, 2006. Indeed, after being informed about these arrests, the defendants had submitted a public application on June 3, 2006 to the “Security Committee” 1 requesting information on the detainees and their whereabouts. The letter also urged the Committee to release the detainees in the absence of valid charges or if valid charges exist, for them to be charged.
Before their release, Mr. Ali and Ms. DafaAlla were informed that the police would evaluate the facts and would refer the case to the Attorney General to bring the case to the courts.
Finally, on September 9, 2006, Mr. Mohamed Badawi, a human rights lawyer and Coordinator of the Amel Centre in el Fashir, was summoned by the NSB. He immediately reported to the NSB offices, where he remained for more than three hours without being interrogated. He was then released without charge but ordered to report again to the offices on the following day. On September 10, 2006, at around 9:15 am, Mr. Badawi duly reported to the NSB, where he was held until 3:00 pm. He was then interrogated by security officers about the Amel Centre’s activities, as well as its relationship with international organisations and the Communist Party, before being released without charge.
1The Security Committee is headed by the Governor of the Southern Darfur State (Wali) and made up of representatives from the Attorney General’s office, the NSB, the police forces and the armed forces.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of Sudan urging them to:i. guarantee under all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Saffaa Abdel Rahim Saror, Ms. Nafisa Mohamed Adam and Ms. Awatif Mohamed Adam, as well as of all members of the Amel Centre for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture;
ii. put an end to all acts of harassment and intimidation against human rights defenders in Sudan;
iii. conform with the provisions of the Declaration on Humans Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, article 5, which provides that “for the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels:(a) To meet or assemble peacefully; (b) To form, join and participate in non-governmental organizations, associations or groups; (c) To communicate with non-governmental or intergovernmental organisations”, and article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or 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”;
iv. more generally, ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Sudan in accordance with its national laws, the National Interim Constitution (2005) and international human rights standards.
Addresses:
- His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, Presidential Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 183 783 223
- Mr. Al Zubeir Beshir Taha, Minister of Interior, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 779383
- Mr. Mustafa Lam Akol Ajawin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, fax : + 249 183 779 383
- Dr. Abdelmuneim Osman Mohamed Taha, Rapporteur, Advisory Council for Human Rights, PO Box 302, Khartoum (Sudan), Fax No.: + 249 183 77 08 83
- His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, First Vice-President, People’s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 771025
- His Excellency Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, Vice-President, People’s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 771025
- Mr. Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 788 941
- His Excellence Ambassador Mr. Mohamed Elhassan Ahmed Elhaj, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, Avenue Blanc 47, 1202 Geneva, PO Box 335, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 731 26 56, Email: mission.sudan@bluewin.ch ; mission.sudan@ties.itu.int.
- Ambassador Mr. Ali Yousif Ahmed, Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in Brussels, 1 avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 648 34 99, Email: sudanbx@yahoo.com
Please also write to diplomatic representations of the Republic of Sudan in your respective countries.
***
Geneva - Paris, October 3, 2006
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:
E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / +33 1 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29