Excessive Brutality from Public Order Police in Daim, Khartoum

(7 March 2012)  On the 5^th of March in Daim, Khartoum several people were injured and one died as a result of an unprovoked attack by the Public Order Police.  The following day the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) imposed a media blackout, refusing to allow newspapers in Khartoum to investigate or report on the incident.  Media outlets were ordered to publish only the police statement regarding the incident in which the police claimed that a group of people attempted to rob them of their weapons as they were driving through the area.

The incident began at night when a police car belonging to the Public Order Police stopped in front of the house of the Ajabna family where Mr. Walied Ajabna was standing outside.  The police accused Mr. Ajabna of being drunk, which he adamantly denied.  They forced him to take a sobriety test, at which point neighbors and family members came outside.  The police contingent (composed of an officer and five patrolmen) then withdrew from the area.  They soon returned with reinforcements and began beating people who were outside.  They opened fire, shooting the sister of Mr. Ajabna in both the head and chest.  She died after being rushed to the hospital.  Mr. Ajabna’s mother was also shot in the hand.  Mr. Ajabna and two of his neighbors were beaten and tortured.

The Public Order Police are a special branch within the police that are tasked with upholding and enforcing the Public Order Regime, a series of laws designed to regulate the behavior of men and women based on sharia law.  The implementation of the Public Order Laws in Sudan is often inconsistent and targeted on the basis of gender or political affiliation.  The Public Order Regime gives police broad discretion when interpreting violations of the laws. Furthermore, the Public Order Courts often lack the due process procedures guaranteed in the 1991 Criminal Code, opening the door for men and women to be punished without trial, by unfair standards, or without representation.

The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) condemns the actions of the Public Order Police and the use of censorship by the NISS.  ACJPS calls on the government of Sudan to respect the freedom of expression through its regulatory body the Press and Publications Council and end of the use of tactics designed to prevent media officials from reporting on issues the government deems sensitive.  The Public Order Laws must be reformed to align with international human rights standards.  Sudan’s new constitution must include a justice system that contains a bill of rights.   ACJPS calls on the government of Sudan to investigate this incident and hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions.