SSHURSA DEMANDS RELEASE OF EDITOR NGOR & HIS DEPUTY DENGDIT AND URGES SECURITY ORGANS TO RESPECT THE CONSTITUTION

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PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION ASKING FOR OUR COLLEAGUE NGOR GARANG TO BE RELEASED AND PASS THE LINK ON TO YOUR FRIENDS AND CONTACTS.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/release_ngor_garang/

SOUTH SUDAN HUMAN RIGHTS SOCIETY FOR ADVOCACY

JUBA: SSHURSA DEMANDS RELEASE OF EDITOR NGOR & HIS DEPUTY DENGDIT AND URGES SECURITY ORGANS TO RESPECT THE CONSTITUTION:

South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy (SSHURSA) calls upon the South Sudan’s Internal Security Office to immediately release The Destiny Newspaper’s Editor-In-Chief Ngor Garang or else produce him before a Court of Law for any charge or charges against him.

Editor Ngor had been in detention in capital Juba since Tuesday, November 1st 2011 after attending along with his Editorial Board members a meeting to which he was called upon by the officials of the Internal Security but he was detained after the meeting and his newspaper, The Destiny, was subsequently suspended.

According to the facts SSHURSA has reliably established, Editor Ngor was detained because of the article written by his deputy Dengdit Ayok that commented on the marriage of the daughter of the President of the Republic of South Sudan by an Ethiopian national in October 2011. SSHURSA has also been informed by the leadership of The Destiny that today the deputy Editor to Ngor, Dengdit Ayok who wrote that article has also been picked up and now in the security detention.

SSHURSA however, concerns itself with the violation of Article 19(4) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011 which states that:

“A person arrested by the police as part of an investigation, may be held in detention, for a period not exceeding 24 hours and if not released on bond to be produced in court. The court has authority to either remand the accused in prison or to release him or her on bail”

The detention of Editor Ngor beyond the constitutionally prescribed 24 hour detention rule is a clear violation not only of this Article 19(4) but also of Section 64(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act 2008, Laws of South (Southern) Sudan that provides similar 24 hour detention limit. The unilateral act of the security organs also contravenes the provision of Article 9 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 that states: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”

SSHURSA therefore, strongly calls upon the Internal Security office to immediately set free Editor Ngor Garang and his deputy Dengdit Ayok arrested (today) or else charge them and produce them for trial before a court of law. SSHURSA also strongly appeals to all security organs and the government of the Republic of South Sudan and the government of the states to uphold the new nation’s Constitution and protect human rights and also release or charge any detainees held beyond the 24 hour Constitutionally provided detention limit. Human rights are Universal, must be respected and protected.

BACKGROUND OF SSHURSA:

SSHURSA is an indigenous, non- political and non-profit making human rights organization founded on June 5, 2007 by South Sudanese lawyers and law students at Makerere Law development Centre (LDC), Kampala-
Uganda. It is registered with the Republic of South Sudan’s Ministry of Justice. SSHURSA became operational in South Sudan in 2009 with its head office in Juba and co-ordination offices in the ten states. It membership- network composes of individuals and member organizations who believe in its rights protection mandate.

SSHURSA vision is to build a democratic and human rights abiding South Sudan and with its mission to monitor, document and publish human rights violations and train general public on the importance of human rights, fundamental freedoms of individuals, rule of law and democracy all of which aimed at creating a more responsible, justice and good governance oriented South Sudan. SSHURSA objectively stands to protect the rights of other human rights defenders and speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves.

The organization works in strong partnership with South Sudan Human Rights Commission and other institutions whose mandate is geared towards protection of the universality of human rights.

For Contact, reach us on: E-mail: [email protected]

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION ASKING FOR OUR COLLEAGUE NGOR GARANG TO BE RELEASED AND PASS THE LINK ON TO YOUR FRIENDS AND CONTACTS.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/release_ngor_garang/