Sudan: update of the four girls who faced hanging

Case SDN 210306.1 - Follow up to Case SDN 210306. CC - Case SDN 210306.VAW

Detention of a 17 year-old girl for murder / Release Geneva, 27 April 2006 The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information on the following situation in Sudan.

New Information

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT), a member of the OMCT network, of the release of Ms. Fayza Ismail Abaker (16), Ms. Houda Ismail Abdel Rahman (17) and Ms. Zahra Adam Abdella (17) on 5 April 2006. According to the information received, Ms. Fayza Ismail Abaker, Ms. Houda Ismail Abdel Rahman and Ms. Zahra Adam Abdella were released after SOAT’s network of lawyers in Nyala submitted an application before the Attorney General in Nyala for the dismissal of the case because of lack of evidence. It is reported that Ms. Amouna Mohamed Ahmed (17), remains in detention and is awaiting trial for murder. OMCT expresses its grave concerns over these events and would like to recall Sudan as a state party of the Convention on the Rights of the Child stating that under article 37 (a) “Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age” and under article 37 (c), “every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age. In particular, every child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered in the child's best interest not to do so and shall have the right to maintain contact with his or her family through correspondence and visits, save in exceptional circumstances”.

Brief reminder of the situation

According to the information received, Ms. Amouna Mohamed Ahmed, Ms. Fayza Ismail Abaker, Ms. Houda Ismail Abdel Rahman and Ms. Zahra Adam Abdella were arrested on 7 March 2006, by police forces in Seraif IDP camp, Hay AlGeer, West Nyala, Southern Dafur. All four girls are IDP’s, who live in Seraif IDP camp and are from the Fur tribe. It was reported that the four girls were attacked by two armed militias in uniform whilst collecting firewood outside the camp on 7 March 2006, around 11:30am. During the attack, one of the men assulted one of the girls and attempted to rape her. When the girl resisted, the man began to beat her. In defence, she grabbed the knife she had been using to cut the firewood and stabbed the attacker in the stomach. The four girls then managed to escape and returned to Seraif camp. Allegedly the girls reported the incident to police officers inside the camp who refused to file the case. In the afternoon of the same day, police officers inside the camp were infomed of the death of a stabbing victim. It is reported that this person is the man who was stabbed by the girl. Following this news, the police officers immediately arrested the four girls on suspicion of murder. The girls were initially taken to Nyala Shamal police station, where they were detained for five days and charged with murder under article 190 of the 1991 Penal Code. On 11 March 2006, they were transferred to Nyaka Wasat (Central) police station, headquarters of the police in Nyala, where they are currently being detained. If convicted, the girls may face death by hanging.

Requested Action

Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to: i. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Amouna Mohamed Ahmed; ii. Ensure that Ms. Amouna Mohamed Ahmed is given a prompt and fair trial, in which her procedural rights are guaranteed at all times; iii. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law; iv. Ensure women and girls the right to be free from discrimination, including violence, in line with the international laws and standards; v. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international humanitarian law and 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


• First Vice-President, Mr Salva Kiir Mayardit, People’s Palace PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax : + 249 11 779977 / 771025


• Vice-President, Mr Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, People’s Palace PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax : + 249 11 779977 / 771025


• Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin, Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan Fax: + 249 183 780796


• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Lam Akol Ajawin, Ministry of Foreign Affairs/External Relations, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax + 249 183 779 383


• Minister of Internal Affairs, Major General Abdul-Rahim Muhammed Hussein, Ministry of Interior, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 11 774339 / 776554 / 777900 / 773046 / 770186


• Minister of Federal Government, Dr Nafie Ali Nafie, Office of the Presidents People’s Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax : +24911 771651/783223


• Dr Yasir Sid Ahmed, Head of the Advisory Council for Human Rights PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 183 770 883


• Dr Abdelmuneim Osman Mohamed Taha, Advisory Council for Human Rights, Rapporteur, PO Box 302, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: +249 183 77 08 83


• Prof. Ali Mohamed Ali Shommou, The National Press and Publications Council, P O Box 11111, Osman Digna St. , Khartoum East Sudan, Fax: + 249 183 77 19 25


• His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Mohamed Elhassan Ahmed Elhaj, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, Avenue Blanc 47, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Tel: +41 22 731 26 63, Fax: +41 22 731 26 56, Email: mission.sudan@bluewin.ch / mission.sudan@ties.itu.int.


• The Embassy o Sudan in Bruxelles, Mr. Ali Yousif Ahmed, Av. F.D. Roosevelt, 124; 1050 Bruxelles. Tel.:0032 (2) 647 51 59 / 0032 (2) 647 94 94, Fax: 0032 (2) 648 34 99, Email: sudanbx@yahoo.com

Please also write to the embassies of Sudan in your respective country. *** Geneva, 27 April 2006 Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.