Sudan
29.06.01
Urgent Interventions
Sudan: Release of Faisal el Bagir
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
SDN 004/ 0106 / OBS 054.1
Release from detention
Sudan
29th June 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, has been informed of the release of a Human Rights Defender in Sudan.
New information:
The Observatory has been informed by the Sudanese Victims of Torture Group (SVTG), of the release on June 26th, 2001, of 41 year-old Faisal el Bagir Mohamed, a member of SVTG network inside Sudan and a freelance journalist.
According to the information received, after being arbitrarily arrested on June 13th, 2001, Mr. Faisal el Bagir was held incommunicado for seven days in solitary confinement in Kober prison, Khartoum, before being transferred to another section with other detainees. He was reportedly not tortured or ill-treated during his detention, but the authorities have still not returned his personal computer, printer, fax and documents that were confiscated from him after his arrest. He has announced that he will be demanding that they be returned to him. Mr. Faisal el Bagir has also reportedly been interrogated about other members of SVTG during his detention.
The Observatory is very pleased to announce this release and thanks all individuals and organisations who intervened on behalf of Mr. Faisal el Bagir. However, the Observatory remains concerned about the Sudanese Government's increasing harassment and detention of human rights defenders, specifically members of the SVTG that have occurred over the last three months. This series of arrests and releases seriously impairs the ability of Human Rights activists to perform their work efficiently.
Brief description of the facts:
According to the information received, Mr. Faisal el Bagir was arrested on Wednesday 13 June 2001 at 6pm from his house in Khartoum. Security officers searched his house for hours while his wife and child were present. During this time they confiscated his personal computer, printer, fax and all the documents in his house. He was released at midnight and ordered to report again on Thursday 14 June at 10 am to the security offices in Khartoum. When he returned on Thursday he was kept at the security offices. SVTG contacted his wife Mona Shashog, and she confirmed she went to the security offices to visit her husband and give him some clothes, but the security officers refused to reveal his whereabouts.
According to the information received, three days prior to his arrest, Mr. Faisal el Bagir had met with the Sudanese Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr. Ahmed Al-Mufti, who is also a delegate to the UN Human Rights Commission, and Mr. Yasir Sidahmed, the Sudanese Ministry of Justice’s Human Rights Consultative Council rapporteur, to discuss the possible organisation of a rally to commemorate the UN’s international day in support of victims of torture on June 26th. Mr. Faisal el Bagir is acting as coordinator for the various NGOs participating in this event, namely the SVTG, the International Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture (IRCT), the People Legal Aid Centre, the Amal Centre, the Khartoum Centre, and Mutawnat (a women’s rights organisation).
The Observatory believes his arrest was linked to his involvement in this project.
Geneva, 29th June 2001
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: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and fax FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
SDN 004/ 0106 / OBS 054.1
Release from detention
Sudan
29th June 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, has been informed of the release of a Human Rights Defender in Sudan.
New information:
The Observatory has been informed by the Sudanese Victims of Torture Group (SVTG), of the release on June 26th, 2001, of 41 year-old Faisal el Bagir Mohamed, a member of SVTG network inside Sudan and a freelance journalist.
According to the information received, after being arbitrarily arrested on June 13th, 2001, Mr. Faisal el Bagir was held incommunicado for seven days in solitary confinement in Kober prison, Khartoum, before being transferred to another section with other detainees. He was reportedly not tortured or ill-treated during his detention, but the authorities have still not returned his personal computer, printer, fax and documents that were confiscated from him after his arrest. He has announced that he will be demanding that they be returned to him. Mr. Faisal el Bagir has also reportedly been interrogated about other members of SVTG during his detention.
The Observatory is very pleased to announce this release and thanks all individuals and organisations who intervened on behalf of Mr. Faisal el Bagir. However, the Observatory remains concerned about the Sudanese Government's increasing harassment and detention of human rights defenders, specifically members of the SVTG that have occurred over the last three months. This series of arrests and releases seriously impairs the ability of Human Rights activists to perform their work efficiently.
Brief description of the facts:
According to the information received, Mr. Faisal el Bagir was arrested on Wednesday 13 June 2001 at 6pm from his house in Khartoum. Security officers searched his house for hours while his wife and child were present. During this time they confiscated his personal computer, printer, fax and all the documents in his house. He was released at midnight and ordered to report again on Thursday 14 June at 10 am to the security offices in Khartoum. When he returned on Thursday he was kept at the security offices. SVTG contacted his wife Mona Shashog, and she confirmed she went to the security offices to visit her husband and give him some clothes, but the security officers refused to reveal his whereabouts.
According to the information received, three days prior to his arrest, Mr. Faisal el Bagir had met with the Sudanese Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr. Ahmed Al-Mufti, who is also a delegate to the UN Human Rights Commission, and Mr. Yasir Sidahmed, the Sudanese Ministry of Justice’s Human Rights Consultative Council rapporteur, to discuss the possible organisation of a rally to commemorate the UN’s international day in support of victims of torture on June 26th. Mr. Faisal el Bagir is acting as coordinator for the various NGOs participating in this event, namely the SVTG, the International Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture (IRCT), the People Legal Aid Centre, the Amal Centre, the Khartoum Centre, and Mutawnat (a women’s rights organisation).
The Observatory believes his arrest was linked to his involvement in this project.
Geneva, 29th June 2001
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: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and fax FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29