Sudan Organisation Against Torture

Human Rights Alert: 20 October 2005

Arbitrary Arrest and Detention of Human Rights Defender Arbitrary Arrest and Detention of Human Rights Defender Arbitrary Arrest and Detention of Human Rights Defender

On 01 October 2005, police officers at Mayo police Station, Khartoum arrested Mohamed Ahmed Alarbab, (40 yrs), a lawyer and a human rights defender. Mr. Alarbab, who lives in Kalakla was arrested was at the entrance of Mayo Police Station. Mr. Alarbab was working on cases of persons arrested following riots in the Soba Aradi area of Khartoum in May 2005.

On 01 October 2005, police officers at Mayo police Station, Khartoum arrested Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Alarbab, (40 yrs), a lawyer and a human rights defender. Mr. Alarbab, who lives in Kalakla was arrested at the entrance of Mayo Police Station. Mr. Alarbab was working on cases of persons arrested following riots in the Soba Aradi area of Khartoum in May 2005.

Mr. Alarbab was initially detained at the police station in Mayo and denied access to his family or lawyers. Whilst at Mayo police station, Mr. Alarbab alleges that he was subjected to torture. He was reportedly beaten and subjected to severe pressure during the police interrogation.

On 03 October, Mr. Alarbab was transferred into police custody at Kalakla police station where he was allowed visits from his family and his lawyer.

On 8 October 2005, a Human Rights Monitor from United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) was allowed to visit Mr. Alarbab. Following the UNMIS visit, Mr. Alarbab was again denied visits from his family and access to legal advice.

According to the police officers at Kalakla, Mr. Alarbab has been refused visits because of media reports alleging that Mr. Alarbab has been subjected to ill treatment whilst in the police custody.

On 18 October, an official investigation was launched by police officers at Soba police station. Mr. Alarbab is reportedly under investigation for offences under Articles 21, 24 (Participating in Commitment of a Criminal Act), 130 (Murder), 50 (Crimes against the Constitutional System), 51 (Crimes against the State), and 77 (Public Disturbance), 107 (Sheltering a Criminal) of the 1991 Sudanese Penal Code.

Mr. Alarbab is currently detained at Kalakla police station with no official charges against him. Mr. Alarbab family has been allowed to deliver food, for Mr. Alarbab to break the ‘Fast’ (Iftar).

SOAT believes that Mr. Alarbab is being detained solely for his work in defending the residents of Soba Aradi. SOAT calls on the Government of Sudan (GoS) to immediately allow Mr. Alarbab access to his family and lawyers and to medical treatment. Mr. Alarbab was ill with malaria before his arrest.

Background

On 18 May 2005, 14 police officers and civilians including two children were killed when violence erupted in the Soba Aradi Area of Khartoum, populated by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the two-decade conflict in the South and more recently from Darfur, Western Sudan. The incident began when police officers entered the Soba area under the government scheme of relocating IDPs as part a larger area-replanning programme.

In the ensuing days, the government deployed its security apparatus including police, military and security personnel on the streets of Soba in what it claimed was a means of restoring peace. Hundreds of people were arrested and detained including families and children. Between 27 June and 3 July 2005, 59 persons among the hundreds of people arrested appeared before the courts on charges of rioting under article 68 of the 1991 penal code. The court found 31 of the defendants including 6 children guilty. The 25 adults were sentenced to imprisonment and the 6 children were sentenced to 20 lashes each. The court ordered the immediate release of the 28 persons acquitted.

There remains scores of persons in detention, many of whom are facing charges under article 130 (Murder) of the 1991 Penal Code. The detainees have been denied access to their families and lawyers. When questioned, the security authorities have repeatedly claimed that they are not willing to divulge the whereabouts of the detainees or allow access to their families and lawyers because “the investigations are not yet finished”.

SOAT urges the Government of Sudan to:

Order the immediate release of Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Alarbab in the absence of valid legal charges or if legitimate charges exist, bring him before an impartial tribunal and guarantee procedural rights at all times;
Take all necessary measures to ensure the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Alarbab;
Allow Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Alarbab immediate and unrestricted access to his family and to any medical treatment that he may require;
Ensure that Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Alarbab has access to legal advice;
Comply with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which the government is obligated State Party;
Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws, the National Interim Constitution and international human rights laws and standards.

The above recommendations should be sent in appeals to the following addresses:

His Excellency Omar Hassan al-Bashir
President of the Republic of Sudan
President’s Palace
PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 783223

His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit

First Vice-President
People's Palace

PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 771025

His Excellency Ali Osman Mohamed Taha
Vice-President
People's Palace

PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 771025

Mr. Lam Akol Ajawin

Minister of Foreign Affairs
PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 779383

Mr. Al Zubeir Beshir Taha

Minister of Interior
PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 779383

Dr. Abdelmuneim Osman Mohamed Taha
Advisory Council for Human Rights
PO Box 302
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 770883

Permanent Representative:

His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Elhassan Ahmed Elhaj

Ambassador

Avenue Blanc 47

1202 Geneva

Tel: 022 731 26 63

Fax: 022 731 26 56

Email: [email protected]

SOAT is an 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:

Argo House
Kilburn Park Road
London NW6 5LF, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7625 8055
Fax: +44 (0)20 7372 2656
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.soatsudan.org

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