Human rights activists harassed by Sudanese security service

LONDON, July 26, 2005 (Amnesty International) — Three female lawyers working on women’s issues in Sudan have been brought in for questioning by the National Security service over the past two days.

The lawyers had participated in a local Human Rights Workshop, composed of local lawyers and NGO groups, in Dar al-Katah, Port Sudan, Eastern Sudan.

The workshop concluded by issuing recommendations that the Sudanese Government sign an agreement prohibiting female genital mutilation and discrimination against women.

According to participants, Nijalla Mohamed Ali, Sana Hassan Babiker, and Halima Hussein Mohamed were particularly active advocates of this issue, likely making them targets.

The National Security service requested that they come to the office for questioning about alleged links to foreign Non-Governmental Organisations.

Today, National Security informed them that further interrogation could go on indefinitely.

In the past, the Security Services have used continued questioning as a form of harassment of human rights activists.

Amnesty International calls for the cessation of repeated summons as a means of harassment against civil society activists.