UPDATE: 29 individuals join the list of individuals detained incommunicado

(7 February 2018) The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies has continued to receive information on more arbitrary arrests and detention of individuals, post-print censorship of newspapers, release of detainees, criminal charges against peaceful protestors, constitutional petition challenging the continued arbitrary detention of individuals in connection with the crackdown on peaceful protests in Sudan.

The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) have carried out a mass campaign of arrests targeting individuals such as human rights defenders, journalists, political party leaders and others with arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention, in most cases incommunicado, for their participation or suspected participation in the protests that occurred across Sudan in January 2018.

ACJPS remains concerned about the continued prolonged detention of hundreds of Sudanese citizens without charge or appearance before a court of law to determine the legality of their detention. ACJPS condemns the on-going silencing of political opposition members, activists, and human rights defenders through arbitrary detention, despite constitutional guarantees to the freedom of expression, association, and assembly.

ACJPS is currently aware of 29 individuals detained incommunicado by the NISS in Khartoum and Port Sudan states following arrests that occurred from 30 January to 6 February. In particular, there is concern about the safety and wellbeing of Mr. Mudathier Mohamed Abdul Rahim who was arrested by the NISS of Port Sudan on 4 February and whose whereabouts remain unknown. Amidst these recent detentions, the NISS has released 12 individuals who were arrested during and after the crackdown on peaceful protests that took place in Khartoum on 16 and 17 January, two Sudanese daily newspapers had their daily print runs confiscated by the NISS on 1 and 6 February and a second constitutional case challenging the indefinite detention of 9 individuals detained during and after the crackdown on peaceful protests on 16 and 17 January was filed on 30 January.

We call upon the Government of Sudan to guarantee the safety and well-being of all detainees and grant them immediate and unequivocal access to their lawyers and family members, medical services and release them in the absence of valid legal charges consistent with international standards.

ACJPS reiterates previous calls to the Government of Sudan to immediately end its policies of pre- and post- print censorship of newspapers, which severely circumscribes the availability of information in the public sphere and hinders freedom of expression and access to information. We recommend that the Sudanese Government provide compensation to the various newspapers for financial loss incurred as a result of the confiscations.

Read full report here.

Contact: Mossaad Mohamed Ali (English, Arabic, Swedish): +256 779584542, mossaad.ali@acjps.org;

Cynthia Ibale (English) cynthia@acjps.org