Eritreans, Ethiopians detainees face torture, deportation in Sudan
January 9, 2008 (LONDON) — Sudan Organization Against Torture (SOAT), a rights watchdog based in London, said alarmed by the situation of Eritrean and Ethiopian nationals detained without trial in Sudan after they escaped from their country to avoid military service.
In July 2007, Amnesty International reported that hundreds of Eritrean nationals had been arrested in Sudan following the rapprochement between the governments of Addis Ababa, Asmara and Khartoum.
SOAT said aware of the case of four Eritreans and five Ethiopian currently being held by the security forces in Sudanese prisons without charge or trial. Further the rights group said they face risk of forcibly return to their countries where they risk torture and other human rights violations.
The Eritreans are arrested in Port Sudan Prison since November 2, 2007after evading compulsory military service at home. While the Ethiopians are detained in Khartoum since last July after being arrested from their homes.
They were arrested on or around November 2, 2007 at the Sudanese border and are being held without charge under the National Security Forces Act of 1999 in Port Sudan State Prison.
SOAT further said that Sudanese authorities denied its lawyers to have access to the detainees.
The names of Eritreans national are: 1) Marhui Gbryrham, 2) Fitouy Fshai Yingbr Mikaeel, 3) Dislby Tsfa Brhan Hagoss, 4) Ablom tfisty gbry Slasy.
Also SOAT communicated the names of the Ethiopians detainees : 1) Haroun Idriss (suffers from irritable bowel syndrome), 2) Abdala Suliman (suffers from diabetes mellitus), 3) Badreldin Ali (suffers from rheumatism) 4) Mohamed Amin Nardi (suffers from diabetes mellitus, hypertension and a skin allergy), 5) Ibrahim Atbana.
The Sudanese rights group said the Ethiopian nationals were arrested along with four other individuals, Adam Pasilio, Minika Hailo, Faisal Mohamed Osman and Argana Slfim. They report that members of the group had held refugee status in Sudan since 2004 and had permission to remain in the country, which was renewed periodically.
The Sudanese security forces deny that they detained Argana Slfim, whose current whereabouts are unclear. Following their arrests, Adam Pasilio, Minika Hailo and Faisal Mohamed Osman were deported to Ethiopia according to a ruling by the Khartoum North Criminal Court after they apparently confessed to residing illegally in Sudan, SOAT said.
They have reportedly since been detained by the Ethiopian authorities and held in an unknown location. All of those arrested are Muslims belonging to the Oromo ethnic group. SOAT’s sources say there is a risk that any of them who are repatriated to Ethiopia could face death because of their past political activities.
Different opposition groups in Eritrea and Ethiopia reported similar situations. Sudan according to regional and international conventions is obliged to not forcibly return any individual to a country where he could face torture or other serious human rights violations
(ST)