Sudan maintains crackdown on rights activists
November 27, 2008 (PARIS) — Sudanese security service rearrested a rights activist and badly beaten him on Wednesday while another is still in custody since Monday. Also reports speak about the arrest of another rights activist in Khartoum.
Osman Hummaida, Abdel-Monim El-Gak, and Amir Suliman had been arrested for the first time on Monday, to interrogate them over their relations with the International Criminal Court (ICC). El-Gak and r Suleiman were released on Tuesday, but Hummaida remained in jail.
However, on Wednesday El-Gak was once again detained by the security service and was badly beaten during the questioning. Reports reached Sudan Tribune from Khartoum say they are accused of transmitting important documents to the ICC on Darfur war crimes.
Hummaida is a human rights activist and former director of the Sudan Organization Against Torture (SOAT). El-Gak is also a human rights activist who used to work as researcher at SIHA (Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa). Suleiman is the director of the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights and Environmental Development (KCHRED), a Sudanese non governmental organisation.
According to reports widely distributed Ms Hala Al-Karib, which working at the SIHA, had been also arrested yesterday and released during the evening.
Sudanese rights organisations condemned the arbitrary arrest of the rights activist and expressed concern over the torture of El-Gak and the forced disappearance of Hummaida who is believed to be under torture.
“There are serious concerns this forced disappearance of Hummaida might well include tortures in poor detention conditions despite his need for immediate medical attention,” said Sudan Human Rights Organisation.
“SOAT expresses concern for Osman Hummaida’s well being particularly as he suffers from asthma and has high blood pressure,” said SOAT.
Sudanese activists called for more pressures on Khartoum to release Hummaida or to charge him and his colleagues, they also asked Khartoum to provide them legal consultation.
(ST)