Release women’s activist Nahla Bashir, appeals a Sudanese rights watchdog

February 3, 2009 — The National Security and Intelligence Department had been arbitrarily detaining the women’s activist Nahla Bashir Adam (25) in the De’ain prison since December 15, 2008. Ms Bashir was further subjected to continuous detention in Hajleeja, the notorious national security jail in Khartoum, and the Omdurman Prison where she is still detained without charge.

Accused of collaboration with the JEM rebels, besides accusations of involvement in kidnapping Chinese workers recently, Nahla has been severely harassed in appalling detention condition by tortures and racist insults. The human rights’ activist Nahla Bashir is a graduate of the Omdurman Islamic University who also worked as director of the Shabab Organization, a voluntary civil society group in the town of Muglad and in Darfur.

The National Security and Intelligence Department is not authorized to harass citizens for human rights or democracy activities. The authorities are required by law to protect people from arbitrary detention and tortures. We ask the authorities to release Nahla immediately from jail to be able to resume her public activity in the service of the humanitarian needs of children.