REDRESS calls for the release of Sudan's distinguished human rights lawyer Dr.Amin Mekki Medani

9 December 2014 ¬¬ — REDRESS, and many other individuals and organisations around the world, are extremely concerned by the continuing secret detention of Dr. Amin Mekki Medani. On Saturday, 4 December 2014, Dr. Medani and Mr. Faruq Abu Issa – who is also still being detained - were arrested by Sudan’s National and Intelligence Security Services, along with a number of other persons. This followed their return from Addis Ababa where they had signed the Sudan Call, “a political declaration on the establishment of a state of citizenship and democracy”.
Dr. Medani embodies a strong commitment to human rights, humanitarianism and the rule of law. In his remarkable career, he has combined academic scholarship with taking up high level positions with a range of different national and international institutions. This includes the judiciary in Sudan, the democratic transitional government of Sudan, as cabinet minister for peace, reconciliation and elections, and the United Nations. For the UN, he has served in places as diverse as Afghanistan, Croatia, Iraq and Lebanon, as regional representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. These assignments have provided him with a unique insight of the reality of human rights situations and the challenges faced by countries undergoing conflict and transitions.
For all his international engagement, the situation in Sudan has been particularly close to Dr. Medani’s heart. He authored the book Crimes in Violation of International Humanitarian Law in the Sudan 1989 -2001, which documented a series of violations and called for justice, accountability and reforms in Sudan. Over the last decades, he has been at the forefront of civil society engagement in the Arab world and Sudan where he has become the President of Sudan’s Confederation of Civil Society Organisations. In his work as lawyer and human rights defender, Dr. Medani has represented victims of violations and has persistently spoken out against abuse of power. He has also steadfastly advocated democratic transformation leading to greater respect for human rights. Many lawyers, human rights defenders and organisations have benefited greatly from his experience, insights, support and generosity. This includes REDRESS in our work with Dr. Medani on the prohibition of torture, justice and accountability for human rights violations, and criminal law reform in Sudan.
Sudan is in a critical period of ongoing conflict and fragile political dialogue. Personalities with the experience and calibre of Dr. Medani are very much needed to bring their expertise to bear and play a constructive role in the reform process. This applies particularly to his work as a civil society representative and human rights defender.
REDRESS expresses its solidarity with Dr. Medani and calls for his immediate release. We call on the Government of Sudan to treat Dr. Medani with all appropriate respect for both the rule of law and human rights that he has fought for all of his life, and to ensure his well-being as a Sudanese citizen.
For further information please contact Eva Sanchis, REDRESS Communications Officer, on mailto:[email protected]@redress.org or +44 20 7793 1777.
About REDRESS: REDRESS is an award-winning human rights organisation based in London which works internationally to combat torture by seeking justice and reparation for torture survivors. Since 1992, it has consistently fought for the rights of torture survivors and their families in the UK and abroad and has intervened in a range of leading torture cases. You can know more about our work in Sudan here: http://www.redress.org/africa/sudanhttp://www.redress.org/africa/sudan

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