Sudan SHRO condemns torture of civil society activists

August 14, 2006 — On Sunday the 30th of July, 2006, the security forces of al-Hasahisa town arrested Al-Amin Ibrahim Al-Rizayqi, a member of the Tenants’ Alliance (TA), while he was circulating a statement by the TA in the Tabat town of al-Gezira. The TA activist was transferred to Al-Hasahisa, where the security forces assaulted him severely until his leg was badly broken. The security officers who tortured Al-Rizayqi included Al-Sadiq Al-Siddiq Mustafa Al-Khidir, Mohamed Suliman, Yasir, and other security officers. When the torture was reported to the Hasahisa police commanders, they ascertained they had no t issued any order to arrest or detain the TA activist.

Earlier last month, the Security Forces of the GONU attacked Dr. Omer Al-Taj Al-Nageeb, a lecturer at the Islamic University in Omdurman, detained him without charge, and tortured him severely for circulating union materials among the Doctors’ Union.

The Sudan Human Rights Organization condemns in the strongest terms possible the unlawful attitude of the security forces that continue to abuse the law by arbitrary arrests, detentions, and tortures of civil society activists as well as other citizens.

The Organization asks the Government of National Unity (GONU) to:

1) Abrogate the National Security Act, which empowers security forces with unnecessary authorities to harass citizens;

2) Abolish the State Security Department, which has been abusing the law in flat antagonism to the ongoing transition to democratic rule.

The Organization asks the Ministry of Interior, the Attorney General’s Chamber, and the Bar Association to open an immediate investigation on the unlawful kidnapping and tortures of the TA activist Al-Amin Ibrahim Al-Rizayqi and the DU activist Omer al-Najeeb. The perpetrators of these crimes must be dealt with, in accordance with the law.