African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies ACJPS | المركز الافريقي لدراسات العدالة و السلام
Scores of activists detained incommunicado and at risk
(26 September 2014) At least 59 people, including scores of well-known youth and political activists, have been arrested from the streets, cafes and private homes of Khartoum, Khartoum Bahri and Omdurman since 20 September. The arrests have been made by Sudan’s security services in a clear attempt to stop the organisation of memorial events to mark the one year anniversary of the brutal suppression of protests that started on 23 September 2013. At least 35 people were detained on 22 September 2014, the eve of the anniversary of the start of protests last year.
Although some detainees have been released without charge, there are concerns for the safety of at least 50 activists who remain detained in unknown locations and without access to their families or lawyers. The family of one man detained on 22 September was informed by Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on 23 September that they would need to wait for three days before any information would be released on his whereabouts.
Individuals released from detention have confirmed that they were interrogated about plans to commemorate the victims of the excessive force used by Sudanese authorities during protests in September and October 2013 when at least 185 people were killed. At least eight people were arrested on the evening of 25 September in connection with a planned memorial event for Dr. Sara Abdelbagi, who was shot and killed outside her uncle’s home in the Aldorashab neighbourhood of Khartoum Bahri on 25 September 2013. Dr. Sara Abdelbagi had rushed to her uncle’s home after learning that her 15 year old cousin had been shot and killed during a protest.
The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) calls on the Sudanese authorities to guarantee the safety of all detainees, make publicly known their whereabouts and immediately grant them access to their families, lawyers and any medical assistance they may require. They should be released immediately or charged with an offence recognised under international law, brought promptly to trial and guaranteed procedural rights at all times.
Instead of detaining activists to silence calls for accountability Sudan should order thorough, impartial and effective investigations into the human rights violations committed during protests, hold perpetrators to justice and provide reparation to the victims.
One year on, those behind unlawful killings, torture and ill-treatment of protesters must be brought to justice.
Detentions on 20 September
On 20 September the NISS arrested a group of five activists from a street in Omdurman:
- Iqbal Ibrahim, (f);
- Khalid Eltoum, (m), lawyer;
- Mohammed Abulmonim, (m);
- Mahyaldeen Abuagala, (m);
- Mutaz Saeed, (m).
They remain detained in an unknown location without access to their families or lawyers.
Detentions on 22 September
At least 22 individuals detained at the home of university lecturer
On 22 September at 10pm the NISS arrested at least 22 people from the home of Dr. Hamid Osman Basheer, an economics lecturer at Al Ahylia University in Omdurman. Dr. Basheer, who is also a member of the Sudanese Communist Party, was convening a discussion on the current economic situation in Sudan when NISS officers raided his home in Omdurman and subjected the occupants to beatings. Eight women were arrested and detained overnight at the Banat West NISS facility in Omdurman. They were released without charge the following morning after being interrogated about the gathering. At least 14 men, who were separated from the women upon arrest, remain detained in an unknown location without access to their families or lawyers.
The eight women detained overnight and released on 23 September were:
- Raga Mohammed Khalil, activist;
- Itidal Hussain, activist;
- Bedour Awad, activist;
- Fatin Eltoum, activist;
- Alaa Alsamani, activist;
- Isdat Hamid, activist;
- Halima, Dr. Hamid’s housemaid;
- Samia Osman, activist.
14 men who remain detained incommunicado in an unknown place include:
- Dr. Hamid Osman Basheer, lecturer, member of the Sudanese Communist Party;
- Ibrahim Khalid Almatbigi, activist;
- Khalid Hamza, activist;
- Alhaj Skeikh Idris, activist;
- Mohammed Abbadi, activist;
- Mutaz Altijani, activist;
- Ashraf Mehisi, activist;
- Mohammed Hassan Alkhair, activist;
- Ahmed Abdulrahman Abdallah, activist;
- Ahmed Abdulrahman, activist;
- Atif Mohammed Yousif, activist;
- Nabeel Mohammed Osman, activist;
- Waleed Alhadeeya, activist;
- Omer Badawi, activist.
Two detained in front of Communist Party head office
On 22 September the NISS arrested two members of the Sudanese Communist Party from in front of the head office of the Communist Party in Omdurman. Their whereabouts remain unknown and they have not had access to family or lawyer visits:
- Margahni Atta Manan, (m);
- Faiza Nugud, (f).
One detained from the street in Khartoum Area 2
Rashid Abdulwahab, (m), a youth activist, was arrested from the street in area 2 of Khartoum nearby the offices of the Sudanese Communist Party.
Five detained from streets nearby French cultural centre in Khartoum
On 22 September the NISS arrested a group of four youth activists from a street nearby the French cultural centre in Khartoum. They were taken to an unknown location:
- Ibrahim Mohammed Ibrahim (m), youth activist.
- Widad Abdulrahman Darweesh, (f), youth activist. Widad was previously detained in May 2012 in connection with her participation in protests that year.
- Isia Mohammed Zain, (m), photographer and youth activist.
- Kamoon Mohammed Adam, (m), youth activist.
At around the same time on 22 September, the NISS arrested Adulrahman Alajib, (m), a journalist working with Al Yoom Altali newspaper, from the same street, nearby to the French cultural centre.
Two arrested from street in front of Al Ahylia University
On 22 September two men were arrested by the NISS in front of Al Ahylia University in Omdurman. Witnesses identified one of those arrested as student Hamza Adam, (m) but did not identify the second individual. Their whereabouts are unknown. Hamza’s family were informed by the NISS on 23 September that they would need to wait three days before being provided with any details on his whereabouts.
Three detained from street in Khartoum
Also on 22 September, a group of three youth activists were arrested from a main street nearby the Comboni playgrounds in Khartoum:
- Akram Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed, (m), youth activist.
- Imad Abubakr Idris, (m), university student, youth activist.
- Amna Osman Mohammed Ahmed, (f), university student, youth activist, released the following day, 23 September at 11am.
The whereabouts of the two men who remain in detention are unknown.
Detentions on 23 September
Nine detained from a cafeteria in Khartoum
On 23 September nine activists, including one journalist, were arrested by the NISS from the premises of a cafeteria in Khartoum:
- Ayman Abdulgafar, (m), journalist;
- Alhaitham Osman, (m);
- Bushra Abdallah, (m);
- Musab Hafiz, (m);
- Abdulgadir Basheer, (m);
- Hassan Jamal, (m);
- Ali Ahmed, (m).
Two men detained with the group have not yet been identified.
Detentions on 24 September
On 24 September the NISS arrested two student activists affiliated with the Democratic Unionist Party from in front of Al-Azhari University in Khartoum Bahri:
- Alsadig Adil, (m);
- Musab Hassan Sabahi, (m).
Detentions on 25 September to stop memorial event for Dr. Sara Abdelbagi
On 25 September 2014 at around 8pm the NISS arrested eight people in two groups in connection with a planned memorial service for Dr. Sara Abdelbagi, who was shot and killed outside her uncle’s home in the Aldorashab neighbourhood of Khartoum Bahri on 25 September 2013.
The first group of four was arrested from a street in the Aldorashab area on their way to Dr. Abdelbagi’s family home:
- Ayman Saeed, (m);
- Nazim Sirag, (m);
- Mawaia Mohamed Ali, (m);
- Ibrahim Al-Safi, (m).
The second group of four were arrested as they were leaving from Dr. Abdelbagi’s family home, also in the Aldorashab area:
- Sara Nougd Alla, (f), member of the Umma Party;
- Rabah Al- Sadig, (f), member of the Umma Party;
- Nagate Bushra, (f), activist;
- Elham Malik, (f), activist.
Background
23 September 2014 marked the one year anniversary of the outbreak of demonstrations in cities throughout Sudan. The demonstrations, sparked by the lifting of fuel subsidies on 22 September, were met with excessive force by the Sudanese authorities. Protesters were beaten and fired on with rubber bullets and live ammunition by security forces leading to the deaths of at least 185 people and injuries to many more. Hundreds of people were detained, many without any charges ever being brought, and numerous activists were arbitrarily detained, tortured and otherwise ill-treated.
Although ACJPS verified 185 deaths, Sudanese authorities acknowledged just 85. A majority of death certificates issued listed the cause of death as “mysterious circumstances”, despite a majority of victims having been shot in the head or chest. The mandate, composition and findings of three state commissions of inquiry reportedly established have never been made public, and repeated attempts to access them have been unsuccessful. Out of at least 85 criminal complaints pursued by victims’ families, only one has progressed to court, with the final decision pending. That case concerned the killing of Dr. Sara Abdelbagi who was shot and killed outside her uncle’s home in the Aldorashab neighbourhood of Khartoum Bahri on 25 September 2013. Dr. Sara Abdelbagi had joined friends and family members outside the family home after hearing that her 15 year old cousin, Soheib Mohamed Musa, had been shot and killed at a demonstration. Several eye-witnesses reported seeing an army officer dressed in civilian attire fire two gunshots, one of which hit Dr. Sara Abdelbagi in the side of her body. One eye-witness reported seeing him then apologise and say he did not mean to shoot her. The death certificate originally issued for Dr. Sara Abdelbagi stated she died of mysterious causes. It was later changed to state that she died of gunshot wounds after her family opened an official complaint into the circumstances of her death at the local police station in Aldorashab. The army officer was arrested on 15 December 2013 and charged with murder under article 130 of the 1991 Sudanese Penal Code. The case is ongoing. This is the only known case of immunity provisions in Sudanese law being lifted to allow for criminal proceedings against a state official accused of using excessive force during the 2013 protests.
Contact: Mohamed Badawi (English and Arabic), ACJPS Human Rights Monitoring Programme Coordinator, in Kampala, Uganda on +256783693689, email: info@acjps.org
