Nine killed in a Judicial Massacre in Khartoum

On Monday 13th April 2009 the authorities in Sudan hanged to death nine individuals convicted of the murder of journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Al Wifag daily newspaper Mr. Mohamed Taha Mohamed Ahmed whose dead body was found in Khartoum on 6th September 2006. Those executed were:

1. Mr. Ishag Mohamed Al Sanosi Gumma 2. Mr. Sabir Zakria Hassn
3. Mr. Abdel Majeed Ali Abdel Majeed 4. Mr. Jamaleldin Issa El Haj
5. Mr. Adam Ibrahim El Haj 6. Mr. Hassan Adam Fadul
7. Mr. Abdel Haye Omar 8. Mr. Mohammed Abdelnabi Adam (Bergid)
9. Mr. Mustafa Adam

These persons belong to the Fur tribe originating from the war-ravaged Darfur region. The court process is widely believed to be politically motivated. On Tuesday 14th April 2009 the anti-riot police used tear gas to disperse about 5000 individuals participated in the burial ceremony in Al Sahafa suburb of Khartoum and staged a protest thereafter during which they burned a police station.

The process that led to the conviction and execution of these individuals was flawed and inconsistent with universal human rights standards. It failed to meet minimum standards of justice and fair trial thus violating national and international customary law.

The prosecution and conviction of these nine defendants were based on evidence extracted under duress. All the defendants informed the court that they were tortured to confess to the murder, that they were forced to sign false confessions and that their bodies carried visible torture marks but to no avail. The court also rejected requests of the defendants and their defence lawyers for medical examinations to verify the torture marks on their bodies. Furthermore, the court dismissed testimonies from more than 27 defence witnesses indicating that the defendants and some members of their families were indeed severely tortured to confess the commission of the killing of Mr. Mohamed Ahmed.

DRDC condemns the collective prosecution and execution of these nine individuals. It is of grave concern that the defendants were deprived of their basic rights to fair trial and guarantees of due judicial process. DRDC calls for judicial reform in Sudan to bring its laws in conformity with international human rights standards. Judicial reform in Sudan should abolish all provisions that ordain the use of torture to extract confessions, and in particular Article 10(I) of Sudan’s Evidence Act of 1993 which authorizes courts of law to admit evidence extracted though improper procedures as a basis for conviction including on crimes that carry capital punishment.

27, Ch. des Crêts-de-Pregny, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, Geneva (Switzerland) Tel: 0041 22 747 00 89 Fax: 0041 22 747 00 38 E-mail: [email protected] Webpage http://www.darfurcentre.ch