Case SDN 070703
Arbitrary arrest and detention / Torture / Death in detention

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT
intervention in the following situation in Sudan.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the
Sudanese Organisation against Torture, a member of the OMCT network,
of the torture of Jum'a Omer Alnur and death in detention of Mr. Awad
Ibrahim Gamar in Sudan.

According to the information received, Mr. Jum'a Omer Alnur, 31, is
in critical condition after having been severely tortured by National
Security Agency (NSA) members. Mr. Jum'a Omer Alnur is currently in a
coma in the Intensive Care Unit of Khartoum Teaching Hospital.

Mr. Jum'a Omer Alnur was reportedly arrested on May 19th, in Dongola,
Northern Sudan, by members of the the National Security Agency. Mr.
Alnur, who is a tailor and political activist, was arrested along
with Awad Ibrahim Gamar, Abu Nagi Al Amin Alnur, Jum'a Mahmoud and
Ramadan Ismail while they were attending a meeting at Mr. Jum'a Omer
Alnur's house. The five men are all members of the Nuba ethnic group
and have reportedly been accused of being "traitors and attempting to
incite the Nuba people against the Sudanese government." Reports
indicate that the men have been subjected to torture during
detention.

Reports indicate that Mr. Alnur has been subjected to torture with a
water pipe, electric wire, and acid. On June 23rd, 2003, he was
admitted to the Kidney Unit of Khartoum Hospital due to his
deteriorating health, and on June 26th he was moved to the Abdominal
Unit. Later that day he slipped into a coma and was moved to the
hsopital's Intensive Care unit. The three other men continue to be
held incommunicado, raising concerns that they are also being
subjected to ill-treatment and/or torture.

In addition, Mr. Awad Ibrahim Gamar was reportedly severely torture
and died after twenty-four hours in custody. Mr. Awad's body was sent
to his family and received by the tribal leaders. There was no
medical assessment or a post mortem examination into the
circumstances and causes of his death.

The International Secretariat of OMCT condemns the use of torture by
members of the Sudanese National Security Agency, and in particular
the death in detention of Mr. Awad Ibrahim Gamar. OMCT is also
gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of
Jum'a Omer Alnur, Abu Nagi Al Amin Alnur, Jum'a Mahmoud and Ramadan
Ismail, notably given that they are being detained incommunicado and
therefore run a heightened risk of being subjected to ill treatment
and/or torture. OMCT calls on the Sudanese government to ensure that
the men are granted access to legal counsel and are allowed family
visits. OMCT further calls on the Sudanese authorities to order the
immediate release of the four men in the absence of legal charges
that are consistent with international law and standards, or, if such
charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal
and guarantee their procedural rights at all times. Additionally,
OMCT urges the authorities to launch an immediate enquiry into the
allegations of torture, the death of Mr. Gamar and the deteriorating
health of Mr. Alnur, in order to determine those responsible and
bring them to trial.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:

i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and
psychological integrity of Jum'a Omer Alnur, Abu Nagi Al Amin Alnur,
Jum'a Mahmoud and Ramadan
Ismail;
ii. guarantee that the detainees be granted access to legal
representation, family visits and adequate medical assistance;
iii. order their immediate release in the absence of legal charges
that are consistent with international law and standards, or, if such
charges exist, bring them before
an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural
rights at all times;
iv. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the
circumstances of these events, notably the allegations of the use of
torture upon the detainees, which has
resulted in one death and one person entering a coma, in order to
identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal
and/or administrative sanctions as
provided by law;
v. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms
throughout the country in accordance with national laws and
international human rights
standards.

Addresses

· His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President
of the Republic of Sudan, People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum,
Sudan, Fax: + 24911
783223
· Mr Ali Osman Yassin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General,
Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Fax: + 24911 788941
· Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: 24911 779383
· Dr Yasir Sid Ahmed, Advisory Council for Human Rights, PO Box 302,
Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 770883
· His Excellency Ambassador Mr Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim, Permanent
Mission of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 335, 1211
Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 7312656. E-mail:
[email protected]

Please also write to the embassies of Sudan in your respective
country.

Geneva, July 7th, 2003

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this
appeal in your reply.
Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT)
8 rue du Vieux-Billard
Case postale 21
CH-1211 Geneve 8
Suisse/Switzerland
Tel. : 0041 22 809 49 39
Fax : 0041 22 809 49 29
E-mail : [email protected]
http://www.omct.org