Campaign group says S. Sudan varsity Don “arbitrarily” detained
April 4, 2016 (JUBA) – Amnesty International said Leonzio Angole Onek, a Juba university don has been detained by government agents for four months without trial.
“Two beige vehicles carrying six NSS (national security services) officers blocked his car on the road. Three of the officers, one of them armed with an AK-47, pulled him out of his car, handcuffed him and drove him to the NSS headquarters where he is currently being held without access to his family or a lawyer,” said the campaign group in a statement.
The don, it said, has not been charged in court or told why he was arbitrarily being detained.
“Since his detention, the NSS has allowed Prof. Leonzio Angole Onek to periodically leave the detention facility to seek medical care in Juba. His condition, however, requires medical analysis and treatment that is unavailable in South Sudan,” said Amnesty International.
South Sudan security agents are known of detaining advocates, journalists, opposition politicians and any citizens if seen critical of the government of President Salva Kiir.
According to Amnesty International, National Security Service (NSS) agents have not permitted Onek to leave the country to access treatment abroad as he demanded.
Onek holds a PhD in biochemistry from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. He has taught at the University of Juba since 2010 and was appointed Dean of the College of Applied and Industrial Sciences in 2014.
Efforts to get comments from the University of Juba were unsuccessful despite several attempts by Sudan Tribune and government officials declined to speak on the matter.
(ST)