Update- Sudan: Travel ban imposed on president of the Darfur Bar Association

01:37 AM March, 08 2018

Sudanese Online
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On 8 March, Sudanese security at Khartoum International Airport banned human rights lawyer Mohamed Aldouma from traveling and seized his passport while he was en route to Cairo for medical treatment.

Mohamed Aldouma is President of the Darfur Bar Association, which has been active for several years in the protection, defence and legal representation of victims of violence.

On 8 March, Sudanese security at Khartoum International Airport banned Mohamed Aldouma from traveling to Cairo to undergo medical checks and treatment following the deterioration of his health during his recent detention.

On 17 January, the human rights defender was arrested during a demonstration in Omdurman and remained in detention at Khartoum North Common Prison, commonly known as Kober. He was then transferred to Shala Prison in El Fasher, Darfur until his release on 19 February. He was subjected to ill-treatment in detention and was not provided with adequate medical care to treat his chronic osteoarthritis.

Over the past two months Sudanese authorities have been undertaking a nation-wide crackdown against demonstrators and human rights defenders in the context of protests against the rise in the cost of food in Sudan which began on 7 January 2018 after the government cut subsidies. Many of the detained human rights defenders were released by the end of February but others remain in detention, among them, Salih Mahmoud Osman, Vice President of the Darfur Bar Association and recipient of the 2007 Sakharov Prize who was arrested on 1 February.

Front Line Defenders condemns the travel ban against Mohamed Aldouma and urges Sudanese authorities to lift it and permit him to travel for medical treatment. Front Line Defenders also calls upon the government of Sudan to immediately and unconditionally release Salih Mahmoud Osman, to cease targeting all human rights defenders and activists in Sudan and guarantee in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.