SUDANESE ACTIVIST DETAINED, AT RISK OF TORTURE

Amnesty International

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR54/001/2012/en

SUDANESE ACTIVIST DETAINED, AT RISK OF TORTURE

Political activist and engineer Mohamed Hassan Alim was arrested by the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, on 26 December 2011. He was arrested after publicly criticizing a prominent government official. He is being held incommunicado and is at risk of torture and other ill treatment.

On 26 December 2011, Mohamed Hassan Alim was arrested from his house in Khartoum by seven men dressed in plain-clothes, believed to be NISS agents. He was beaten by the men in front of his mother and taken away in a car. He has been held incommunicado at an undisclosed location since his arrest. He faces serious risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

Mohamed Hassan Alim is a 29 year old engineer who recently graduated from the University of Alnelain in Sudan. In early December 2011 he participated in an open event organized by an Islamic student group at the University of Khartoum. During the event, Mohamed Hassan Alim publicly criticized Nafi Ali Nafi, Vice President of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and advisor to President Omar al-Bashir.

Mohamed Hassan Alim accused Nafi Ali Nafi, a speaker at the event, of corruption, nepotism and human rights violations. His criticism was videotaped and posted on YouTube and the footage was widely disseminated on online forums and media outlets.

Mohamed Hassan Alim is well known to the Sudanese authorities for his political activities as a member of the non- violent opposition Ba’ath party in Sudan, and for his participation in public anti-government demonstrations. This had already resulted in his arrest and detention by the NISS in January 2011. He had been released without charge on 13 March 2011 after being held incommunicado for 45 days. During this time, he was subjected to torture and other ill treatment.

Please write immediately in English or Arabic or your own language:

• Calling on the authorities to immediately release Mohamed Hassan Alim unconditionally and without charge;
• Urging the authorities to ensure that Mohamed Hassan Alim is not subjected to torture or otherwise ill treated;
• Calling on the authorities to reveal the whereabouts of Mohamed Hassan Alim and grant him immediate access to his lawyer, family and any medical treatment he may require;

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 14 FEBRUARY 2012 TO:

President HE Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir Office of the President People’s Palace PO Box 281 Khartoum Sudan
Fax: +249 183 782 541
Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Justice Mohammed Bushara Dousa Ministry of Justice, PO Box 302 Al Nil Avenue, Khartoum, Sudan Salutation: Your Excellency

And copies to: Minister of Interior Ibrahim Mohamed Hamed Ministry of Interior PO Box 873 Khartoum, Sudan

URGENT ACTION

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Protests throughout the Middle East and North Africa began in Tunisia at the beginning of January 2011 and extended to a number of other capitals. Inspired by these protests, student-led demonstrations took place throughout Sudan in 2011, calling for democracy and an improvement in the socio-economic conditions.

The police and the NISS in Sudan often arrest and ill-treat peaceful demonstrators. Student movements and organizations are regularly targeted by the NISS.

The NISS maintain broad powers of arrest and detention under the 2010 National Security Act. National security officials often use their powers to arbitrarily arrest and detain individuals, and to subject them to torture and other forms of ill-treatment. Amnesty International has documented numerous cases of torture or other ill-treatment by the NISS.

Name: Mohamed Hassan Alim Gender m/f: Male