Sudan Organisation Against Torture

Human Rights Alert: 5 July 2005

Countdown to Government of Unity: Release of Political Prisoners

On 30 June 2005 following a public statement by the President of the Republic of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, 29 political prisoners were released including Dr. Hassan Al Turabi, the leader of the opposition party, the Popular National Congress (PNC) who has been in detention since March 2004 without charges. The details of those released are as follows:

Popular National Congress:

Hassan Al Turabi
Gibriel Alnaiel
Ibrahim Sultan
Noureldin Adam Ali
Ahmed Alshain Alwali
Kamal Alhedai
Yousif Haggar
Sharief Alshaieb

Immigrants Movement ‘INSAF’

The following detainees are leaders of the Manaseer tribe. They were arrested after they resisted relocation to other areas as part of the mass clearance of Marawi to develop the Marawi Dam. The men had complained of the lack of consultation between the government and the local population and the lack of fair compensation for loss of homes and livelihoods.

Sheikh- Tahir Babikir
Babiker Ahmed Babiker
Alkhair Hamadnallah
Hasan Sidig Atoalie
Alnazeer Omer Altahir
Hasan Ahmed Omer Arabi

Beja Congress:

General Secretary Abdullah Mosa
Dr. Onoor Sidi
Tagelsir Sidi Eisa
Hashim Modi
Dhirar Ahmed Dhirar
Alhasan Osman
Hashim Ahmed Oshaiek
Mohamed Musa
Ahmed Taha Tahir
Mohamed Alamin Mohamed Taha
Omer Abdullah
Hashim Ali Doura
Mohamed Habieb Mohamed Tahir
Abdelrahiem Alborie
Omer Mohamed Abdullah Bamkar

SOAT is pleased to announce the release of these men, all of whom were detained without charges and considered their arbitrary arrests and detention a gross violation of international human rights conventions and charters. Nonetheless, even as SOAT welcomes the release of the above men, we note with concern the failure to release the hundreds of political activists arrested in Darfur.

SOAT calls on the government of Sudan to order the immediate release all detainees in the absence of valid legal charges, or if legitimate charges exist, bring them before an impartial tribunal and guarantee procedural rights at all times. As access to prisoners are difficult, and in many cases impossible, SOAT urges the government to make public the names of all prisoners released including those from the Darfur region.

SOAT is international human rights organisation established in the UK in 1993. If you have any questions about this or any other SOAT information, please contact us:

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