African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies ACJPS | المركز الافريقي لدراسات العدالة و السلام
(3 February 2023) The African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) together with National Organization for Freedom and Justice express deep concern over the targeting of Sudanese citizens by authorities for their online activities. In this release we document yet another incident where a human rights activist was arrested over a Facebook post.
On 14 January 2023, at around 09:00pm a group of military Intelligence (MI) officers, a unit of Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Blue Nile region arrested Mr. Ali Mohamed Hajo, a 36year of old human rights activist. Mr. Hajo works for the Ministry of Finance in Blue Nile. He is also the Secretary General of Civil Society Reconciliation Initiative in Blue Nile. Mr. Hajo was arrested from his home in Arkaweet neighborhood in Al-Damazin town in Blue Nile.
Mr. Hajo was arrested following a post on his Facebook account on 26 January 2023 at 02:00 pm. The post disclosed information about arrival of Mr. Esam Aldrigi to Blue Nile to meet with the Reconciliation Initiative. He further alleged in the post that Mr. Esam Aldrigi was the officer who ordered for the torture of detainees at the MI detention center. The detainees included several students who were arrested during a protest. They were subjected to serious physical torture with some detainees losing bodies parts. For example, Mr. Salah Alraiey lost an eye because of the alleged torture at the detention center. He allegedly added that Mr. Aldrigi told the detainees at the detention center that the former president Omar Al-Bashir will forever have influence in Sudan regardless of whether or not he is in power. Although Mr. Hajo didn’t mention dates when the incidents transpired, a reliable source informed ACJPS that this possibly transpired around 2018 when Mr. Hajo was arrested.
On 27 January 2023, Mr. Ali was transferred to Arusires prison where he will serve a three month sentence as provided for under emergency decree announced in October 2022 by Blue Nile governor. The decree was renewed on 24 January 2023.
Civil Society Reconciliation Initiative
The Civil Society Reconciliation Initiative made a statement following an incident between some Fong group and Hausa members in October 2022 which started in July 2022. In November 2022, several local civil societies proposed and made drafts of reconciliation agreements. In December 2022, it was agreed that Mr. Hajo takes charge and coordinates the process.
Another development
On 26 January 2023, Ms. Awadia Abu Zaid Elsheik a 50-year-old woman living in Alrabea neighborhood of Al-Damazin, Blue Nile was arrested from her home by a group of Sudanese Military (SAF) and detained at Central Police station. She was later informed by a police officer that she had violated the Emergency decree that was passed on 12 December 2022 by the Blue Nile Governor Gen. Ahmed Alomda.
Background of Ms. Awadia Abu Zaid’s case
On 26 January 2023, Ms. Awadia and her family members were at their home when a SAF soldier on duty at Arusires Bridge check point in Blue Nile violated Ms. Awadi’s family privacy when he entered their home and asked to have sexual intercourse with her. Offended by the request, she asked the soldier to get out. The soldier refused and repeatedly made the same offensive demands before trying to attack her. With the help of her family members, they were able to restrain the soldier and tied him up. Before they could even report the case to police, the colleagues of the soldier came and released him and instead arrested Ms. Awadia and she was taken to Central Police Station in Al-damazin where she was charged under the Emergency law and is facing two months imprisonment.
A number of people have been arrested and detained under emergency laws in Blue Nile. The detainees are then sentenced to imprisonment without trial.
Names of other detainees sentenced to three months imprisonment and dates of sentence
- Alzubir Bashir Alzubir Khidir (m) 27 December, 2022
- AL Rashid Juma Amier Fadul Alsayid (m) 27 December, 2022
- Mahamud Mohamed Mahamud Noor Eldien (m) 27 December, 2022
- Haidar Ajeeb Nasir Awad (m) 27 December, 2022
- Ahmed Dooka Alrashed Alsemit (m) 27 December, 2022
- Farid Alshwile Alnoor Hassan(m) 27 December, 2022
- Abdul Rahman Alzain Khidir Ismail(m) 27 December, 2022
- Frances Jone Lucca Tarah , 3 January, 2023
- Saad Suba Sabit (m), 16 January, 2023
- Noor Aldaiem Karar Babker (m) 30 December, 2022
- Alnaeem Mustafa Arabab Abdul Rahman (m)14 January, 2023
- Mohamed Ali Sad Agoha (m) 14 January, 2023
- Sabit Sroor Mohamed Adwa(m) 12 January, 2023
- Ali Hameed Ali Dangil (m) 12 January, 2023
- Alhadi Mahamud Mohamed Aldagah (m) 12 January, 2023
- Osman Ismail Osman Hamad Alnile (m) 12 January, 2023
- Esam Almahi Ismail Mohamed (m) 12 January, 2023
- Alnoor Gesim Allah)m) , Wanah Juma(m) 12 January, 2023
- Sable Mohamed Babker Ardebil (m) 12 January, 2023
- Mujaheed Mohamed Osman (m) 12 January, 2023
- Gurinat Mohamed Abdul Gadir Feladamous (m) 12 December, 2022
- AL Rasheed Azraq Nwai Jana (m) 4 January, 2023
- Jafar Abdallah Isa Musa (m) 8 January, 2023
- Ali Mohamed Hajo Mohamed (m) 27 January, 2023
Names of detainees sentenced to two months imprisonment and dates of sentence
- Abakar Mohamed Idris (m) 27 January, 2023
- Hassan Abu Algasim Mohamed (m) 23 January, 2023
- Mujaheed Mohamed Aljalie (m)10 January, 2023
- Aisha Mohamed Adam (f) 27 January, 2023.
ACJPS urges the Sudanese authorities to respect and guarantee the right to freedom of expression as provided for in article 56 of the Constitutional Declaration of 2019 and international and regional human rights treaties that Sudan is a state party to. ACJPS further urges the Government to ensure that this freedom is protected both online and off-line in accordance with the constitution and universally accepted standards. The Government should further instruct its law enforcement agencies to cease harassment and intimidation of individuals exercising their rights legitimately. ACJPS also proposes a law reform within the country to adhere to regional and international standards to which Sudan has committed, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Background
The already fragile civic space in Sudan continues to shrink with each day that passes as the current military regime continues to work tirelessly to ensure the same. The government has relied on stringent Emergency laws and decrees to harass and intimidate Sudanese citizens. This has put opposition political leaders, CSOs and human rights defenders and activists in the line of fire. Since the 2018/2019 revolution, ACJPS has documented the arrest and judicial harassment of several human rights defenders/activists on their online activism. For example in August 2022, a human rights defender was arrested, tortured and charged with defamation over a social media post in Zalingi city. In September 2021, a female human rights defender faced defamation charges for criticizing the Rapid Support Forces on Facebook. In March 2021, ACJPS documented that a human rights defender had been charged with publishing false news under Article 24 the Cybercrime Act, 2018 based on Facebook post discussing the health situation in Sudan.
