Sudanese parliament to summons justice minister over upcoming UNHRC session
September 1, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese parliament has said it would summons the justice minister and head of the Advisory Council for Human Rights (ACHR), Mohamed Bishara Dousa, next week to discuss preparations for the upcoming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.
The head of the parliamentary subcommittee on Legislation, Justice and Human Rights, Tahani Tor al-Dabba, said that certain groups within the UNHRC seek to relegate Sudan to agenda item 4 of monitoring.
She pointed in press statements on Sunday that her committee would meet with the concerned bodies to discuss preparations for refuting these attempts, stressing that Sudan has not committed human rights violations which causes moving it back to monitoring.
Al-Dabba underscored that Sudan will demand termination of the independent expert mandate.
Baderin recently concluded a visit to Khartoum where he discussed with government officials and civil society organizations developments of human rights situation in the country.
The head of the opposition alliance of the National Consensus Forces (NCF), Farouk Abu-Essa, said they are not satisfied with Baderin’s performance given the deterioration of human rights situation in Sudan.
On 15 August, Baderin denounced the arrest and sentencing of political activists in Sudan, reiterating his call on the government to free all political detainees including the leader of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP), Ibrahim al-Shiekh, and deputy chairman of the National Umma Party (NUP), Meriam al-Mahdi.
“The arrest and detention of al-Mahdi and al-Sheikh are not conducive to realising an inclusive national dialogue proposed by the Government of the Sudan,” he said
He called in statement received by Sudan Tribune at the time for the need to guarantee the fundamental civil liberties of all political leaders to encourage confidence in the proposed national dialogue, noting it is the only reasonable way to address constitutional and political challenges in the Sudan.
Bedrin further urged the government and security services “to desist from any further arrest and detention of political leaders” and to “fully ensure the right to liberty and freedom of individuals in the Sudan, in order to facilitate the necessary political confidence”.
Al-Dabba announced that a parliamentary delegation will travel to Geneva in mid-September to attend the upcoming UNHRC session.
She called upon the government to make the necessary to prevent moving Sudan back to agenda item 4, saying we expect all possible scenarios but we hope all monitoring items will be lifted.
Al-Dabba stressed the government readiness to answer all questions which will be brought up in the session, saying the justice ministry completed investigation into last September’s events which are expected to be included in Bederin’s report.
“We are confident that all judicial authorities played their role towards the events”, she said
Protests erupted last September following the government’s decision to lift fuel subsidies. Rights groups said that at least 200 people were killed in the events but the government put the death toll at 77.
Baderin, last June said he received a report from the Sudanese ministry of justice about the protests without elaborating on its contents.
Observers also say that the case of Meriam Ibrahim, the Christian mother-of-two who was sentenced to death in May for refusing to renounce her faith and return to Islam, will be included in Bederin’s report under the religious freedoms violations item.
(ST)
