Sudanese families call to release arbitrarily detained activists
March 21, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – A representative of the families of detained political leaders and activists said the Sudanese security service refused to receive a letter demanding their release or to bring them to a fair trial.
Al-Waleed Bakri told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that dozens of families had gathered at the information building of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) to hand over the letter, but the officials refused to take it.
“The security services rejected the letter and followed it by terrorizing the families of the detainees by taking them out of the information building, a measure that confirms the absence of minimum professional standards and without any legal grounds,” said al-Waleed, whose brother has been in custody for three months.
“All these treatments and others confirm the violation of the rights of citizenship and constitutional and human rights,” he further said.
Earlier this month, President al-Bashir ordered the release all the female detained following the protest movement.
However, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) on Tuesday 19 March said hundreds of detainees are in detention without charge or access to a court of law.
The group further aid despite the presidential directive of 8 March to release all the detained females only 36 women have been released by the NISS.
Al-Waleed stressed all the members of his family will remain mobilized and will continue to coordinate their efforts with the other families of detainees until the release of his brother Rabie and all the detainees.
“We will not be stopped by intimidations or threats,” he said adding that his brother Osama has been threatened by the security agents several times.
Last Sunday, the families of the detainees held a second sit-in outside the building of the security services and held pictures of the detainees and placards calling for their release.
The total number of detainees has not yet been known. The NISS have released some politicians and activists, while others are still in detention including the leading figures of the Communist Party, Unionist movement or Sudanese Professional Association.
(ST)