On the 24th of January, Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, and Salah Mohammed Abu Alrahman, Director and member, respectively, of the Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO) were allegedly arrested by members of Sudan’s National Security and Intelligence Agency at Dr. Mudawi’s family home in Kondua, North Kordofan. (7-FEB-05)

This story has been brought to www.humanrightshouse.org’s attention by Frontline – The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.
 
SUDO is a voluntary organisation making the crucial connection, not the least in Sudan, where the natural resources are scarce and the struggle for survival has been a reocurring cause for conflict, between environmental issues and human rights. It works, therefore, to encourage on the one hand sustainable development, on the other respect for human rights, but with a focus on those cases and areas where the two issues meet and highlight each other. According to the information received, the two human rights defenders were held initially at the National Security Agency Office in El Obeid, North Kordofan before being transferred, on 27th January, to the National Security Office in Khartoum.  

No reason has been given to either Dr Mudawi or Salah Mohamed Abdelrahman, or to their relatives, for their arrests. However, Front Line and HRH fears that the arrest of Dr. Mudawi represents a renewed attempt on behalf of the security forces to persecute him and prevent him from carrying out his human rights activities. Dr. Mudawi spent seven months in police custody in 2004, having been charged, in connection with his human rights work, of committing offences against the state.  Following the hearing of his trial on 7 August 2004, all charges against Dr. Mudawi were dropped and he was released.

Front Line is calling on all members of our take action network to write to the Sudanese authorities, urging them to:  

(1) release Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam and Mr. Salah Mohammed Abu Alrahman  immediately if they are not charged with a recognisable criminal offence;
(2) ensure that Dr. Mudawi and Salah Mohammed Abu Alrahman are treated humanely while in custody and not subjected to  torture or ill-treatment;
(3) ensure, furthermore, that the treatment of Dr. Mudawi and Mr. Alrahman while in custody adheres to all those conditions set out in the Basic Principles for Treatment of Prisoners, adopted by General Assembly resolution 45/111 of 14 December 1990.

Further details of the case, as well as the contact details for the Sudanese authorities, are below.    

Kindly inform us of any action taken.

HRH has sent the appeal today, 8 Fenruary, to the Sudanese President, and with copies to the First Vice President, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, the Advisory Council for Human Rights, His Excellency Dr Hasan Abdin of the Sudanese Embassy to the UK, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

With best wishes  
All at Front Line

Please send copies of your appeal to:

His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir
President of the Republic of Sudan
President?s Palace
PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax:          00+ 249 183 783223

Mr Ali Osman Mohamed Taha       
First Vice-President           
People?s Palace, PO Box 281
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax :                00 249 183 779977

Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin
Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Ministry of Justice
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax :               00 249 183 770883 (difficult to get through, please keep trying)

Mr Yasir Sid Ahmed
Advisory Council for Human Rights
PO Box 302
Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan
+ 249 183 770883

PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO:

His Excellency Dr Hasan Abdin,
Embassy of the Republic of Sudan,
3 Cleveland Row,
St James?s,
London, SW1A 1DD
Fax: 020 7839 7560

Front Line – The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
16 Idrone Lane
Off Bath Place
Blackrock
Co. Dublin
Republic of Ireland

Tel: +353 1 212 3750
Fax: +353 1 2121001

Website: www.frontlinedefenders.org
Registered Charity No: CHY 14029