Sudanese Government Forces Detain Rights Advocate for Defending Human Rights in Darfur

Alert Issued: July 8 , 2004

Update: Sudanese lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman was released from Dabak prison on September 4, 2004. He had been detained for over seven months without charges. He was denied visits from his family and other human rights attorneys until July 17, 2004. Human Rights First welcomes his release and thanks all of those who sent letters on behalf of Mr. Osman.

Mr. Salih Mahmoud Osman , a lawyer who is a member of the human rights organization the Sudanese Organization Against Torture (SOAT) , was arrested in Wad Medani , Sudan , on February 1 , 2004 , by National Security Agency (NSA) forces. Since his arrest , he has been held incommunicado. No formal charges have been brought against him , but his detention fits a pattern of human rights defenders suffering persecution for their work dealing with the crisis in the Darfur region of western Sudan. The Sudanese government appears to be targeting human rights defenders , like Mr. Osman , to prevent news about serious violations of human rights in Darfur reaching the outside world.

On May 31 , 2004 , another SOAT lawyer , Mr. Amir Mohammed Suleiman , submitted an official request for the immediate release of Mr. Osman to the security forces since there are no official charges brought against him and the maximum permitted 90 days of detention under article 32 section 2 of the 1999 National Security Act had elapsed.

Mr. Osman is being detained in Dabak prison , a small prison north of Khartoum. He is reported to have started a hunger strike on June 30 , 2004 to protest his imprisonment. There are serious concerns regarding his health , as he was suffering from jaundice at the time of his detention and continues to suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes. The hunger strike will worsen his health condition.

Mr. Osman's work with SOAT includes providing legal aid to victims of human rights abuses. Mr. Osman's detention appears to be in reprisal for his legal defense of human rights and appears to be part of the ongoing series of abuses occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan.

No one should be detained for nonviolent promotion of human rights and freedoms. Help defend the rule of law in Sudan. Send the letter below to the Sudanese government , calling for Mr. Osman's immediate release.

Sample Letter:

Ambassador H.E. Khidir Haroun Ahmed
Sudanese Embassy
2210 Massachusetts Avenue , NW ,
Washington DC , 20008
Fax: (202) 667-2406
E-mail: kahmed@sudanembassy.org

Dear Ambassador H.E. Khidir Haroun Ahmed:

I am deeply troubled by the continued detention of Mr. Salih Mahmoud Osman , a lawyer with the Sudanese Organization Against Torture. I understand that since his arrest on Februrary 1 , 2004 , Mr. Osman has been held incommunicado. No formal charges have been brought against him.

Mr. Osman is an active lawyer in the SOAT network , which provides free legal aid to victims of human rights violations. Mr. Osman's detention appears to be in reprisal for his legal defense of human rights. The Sudanese government should be promoting the work of such peaceful human rights advocates , not placing them in detention.

It appears that Mr. Osman's continued detention without explanation is but one in a series of recent attempts to silence human rights defenders in Darfur , Sudan. For example , Mr. Madawi Ibrahim Adam , chairperson of the Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO) , an organization which promotes sustainable development and human rights , was arrested on December 28 , 2003. He is now facing charges that carry the death penalty for alleged offenses that appear to be without foundation. His prosecution appears to be designed to punish him for his lawful , non-violent activities exposing human rights violations and promoting human rights. There is also the case of the recently released Mr. Adel Abdullah Nasir Aldin Saeed , also a member of the SOAT lawyers' network. He was arrested June 16 , 2004 , also without cause , and he spent over two weeks in detention for his non-violent defender of human rights.

Individuals willing to describe atrocities that they have witnessed to international organizations have also been targeted. Mr. Nour Eldin Mohamed Abdel Rahim , the Omda (tribal leader) of Shoba , and Mr. Bahr Eldin Abdallah Rifa , Omda of Jabal Si , were arrested by security officers on May 9 , 2004 , following their participation in a meeting with local authorities and Red Cross representatives concerning human rights violations in the Kabkabia region. The two have since been released , but their detention lingers as a standing threat to those who expose violations of human rights.

According to the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders , all persons have the right "freely to publish , impart or disseminate to others views , information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms." The important work of Sudanese human rights defenders should be recognized by the government and they should be supported rather than persecuted for their activities.

While Mr. Osman and others remain in detention , I strongly urge you to ensure that they are provided with appropriate and timely medical treatment and that their conditions of detention meet basic international standards. International human rights law requires that all persons held in detention are treated with humanity and dignity and that they are not subjected to cruel , inhuman or degrading treatment. The Sudanese government should ensure the application of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of all Persons Under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment , which further elaborate the basic standards to be achieved in ensuring respect for the rights of detainees.

I will continue to monitor these cases closely. Thank you for your attention to these most serious matters.