Sudanese Lawyer Abducted by Government Security Forces in Darfur

Alert Issued: June 23, 2004

Update: Sudanese human rights lawyer Mr. Adel Abdullah Nasir Aldin Saeed was released this past weekend.  Human Rights First applauds his release and thanks all of those who sent letters on behalf of Mr. Aldin , the subject of last Wednesday's Defender Alert. 

Conflict has escalated in the Darfur region of western Sudan in recent months.. Government forces and militias supported by the government, the Janjaweed, have targeted the civilian population for gross violations of human rights that are approaching the dimensions of genocide. Attempts by local human rights defenders to protest against this brutal assault have been ignored or stifled by government authorities.

Adel Abdullah Nasir Aldin Saeed’s detention without explanation is but one in a spate of recent attempts to silence human rights defenders in the Darfur region. 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 was not charged with a crime until February 11, 2004, at which point he was accused of various violations of the Sudanese penal code, including: “undermining the constitutional system, waging war against the state, disclosure of military information, calling opposition to public authority by use of violence or criminal force, and provoking hatred against or among sects.” Human Rights First believes that these charges are without foundation and that he is being prosecuted for his legitimate activities as a non-violent advocate of human rights with an internationally recognized organization. If convicted, Mr. Madawi Ibrahim Adam faces the death penalty.

Other detainees like Mr. Aldin are still being held. These include Mr. Salih Mahmoud Osman, a member of the SOAT lawyers’ network. He was detained February 1, 2004, and has yet to be charged with a crime. It is believed he is being held for protesting against torture and other violations of human rights in the Darfur region.

Individuals willing to describe atrocities 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.

Please help us bring the pressure of world opinion to bear on the Sudanese government to cease their repression of human rights defenders in Darfur. Write to them demanding the release of Mr. Aldin and all those detained for defending human rights.

Sample Letter:

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

Dear H.E. Ambassador Khidir Haroun Ahmed:

I am deeply troubled the recent detention of Mr. Adel Abdullah Nasir Aldin Saeed, a lawyer with the Sudanese Organization Against Torture. I understand that since his arrest on June 16, 2004, Mr. Aldin has been held incommunicado. No formal charges have been brought against him.

Mr. Aldin is an active lawyer in the SOAT network, which provides free legal aid to persons sentenced to death, amputation, cross amputation, and other punishments. In April 2004, he and other lawyers submitted an application to the director of the security forces in the southern Darfur state of Nyala to either bring charges against all detainees or to release them immediately. Mr. Aldin’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. Aldin’s detention without explanation is but one in a series of recent attempts to silence human rights defenders in Darfur, Sudan. 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 Mr. Salih Mahmoud Osman, also a member of the SOAT lawyers’ network. He was arrested February 1, 2004, and has yet to be charged with a crime. It is believed he is being held for promoting human rights in the Darfur region.

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. Aldin 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.

Sincerely,