اعتقال نشطاء مجتمع مدني من ابناء دارفور بالخرطوم

Quote: Sudan: End Continuing Repression of Darfur Activists > Charge or Release Newly Arrested Rights Defenders > > (New York, November 2, 2010) - The Sudanese government should charge or > release Darfuri activists arrested between October 30 and November 1, 2010, > by national security agents in Khartoum, Human Rights Watch said today. The > arrests underscore the government's continued use of repressive laws to > target human rights defenders from Darfur and to restrict information about > the ongoing abuses there, Human Rights Watch said. > > Abderahman Gassim, a prominent Darfuri human rights lawyer and active member > of the Darfur Bar Association, was arrested in downtown Khartoum. The same > evening, security officials arrested at least eight Darfuri male and female > activists at other Khartoum locations, including the office of the Human > Rights and Advocacy Network for Democracy (HAND), a coalition of Darfuri > groups. Security officials have since arrested another female member of the > coalition in Khartoum, and closed the HAND offices. > > "The government appears to be targeting this group of people for their > important work on Darfur, not because they committed any crime," said Rona > Peligal, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "It should immediately > charge these individuals or release them." > > The exact number of those arrested is not known, nor has the government > revealed where they are being held. However, all those arrested are Darfuri > activists, and most are members of HAND, according to information obtained > by Human Rights Watch. > > In recent months HAND has provided valuable reports to international > organizations and diplomats on the situation in Darfur. Its members told > Human Rights Watch they have come under increasing scrutiny by national > security officials and fear further arrests. In August, security officials > questioned members about the activities of HAND and urged them to stop their > work. > > "These arrests are clearly part of a wider pattern of stifling expression > about ongoing human rights abuses in Darfur," Peligal said. "The government > continues to clash with rebels and attack civilians, in violation of > international humanitarian laws, and these activists are among the very few > speaking out about it." > > Little public information about the ongoing conflict and human rights > concerns in Darfur has emerged from Darfur following the International > Criminal Court's issuance of an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir > on March 4, 2009. Afterward, the government expelled 13 international > organizations from Sudan and closed down three Sudanese human rights groups. > The African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) does > not report publicly about the human rights situation in Darfur, and the UN > office coordinating humanitarian affairs stopped publishing weekly reports > in November 2009. > > "Information about what is going on in Darfur is especially important now > with international attention more focused on the Sudanese referendum," said > Peligal. > > Sudan will hold a referendum on southern self-determination in January, > according to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended a 22-year > civil war in Sudan. > > Sudanese authorities have long used national security powers to arrest and > detain political activists, often mistreating or torturing them in > detention, based on cases documented by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty > International, and many other groups over the years. > > Human Rights Watch urged the government of Sudan to ensure that the most > recent detentions are properly recorded and that all due process protections > are afforded to the detainees, including access to counsel and medical care. > Gassim has a medical condition that requires special care. > > International standards require that detained people be charged promptly > after their arrest and granted access to counsel and medical care. However, > the repressive National Security Act gives Sudanese security officials broad > powers of arrest and permits them to detain individuals for up to four and a > half months without judicial review, in violation of international > standards. >