Sudan: Urgent call for action on behalf of detained and tortured protesters
The following is a letter template that human rights and democracy activists in Sudan are asking people around the world to use as a basis of a protest letter to be send to the government of Sudan and to Sudanese embassies in their countries. Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal urges its readers to do so. For more information, see also "Sudan: Northern regime tightens grip as protests flare".
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Dear honourable sir/madam
Re: Sudanese students, youths and journalists beaten, abducted, imprisoned and tortured in Sudan for participating in political activities and responding to a call for demonstrations across Sudan on January 30, 2011.
Inspired by Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, and the Facebook revolution in Egypt, infuriated by price increases and a presidential promise of freedom restrictions in the Sudan,youth groups in the Sudan called for demonstrations against President Omar Al Bashir and his ruling party, the National Congress Party. Large numbers were abducted from the streets by National Congress Party police and detained in jail, I write to you to urge you to please intervene and request the urgent release of political detainees in the Sudan.
The peaceful demonstrations started on January 30 and continued as sporadic demonstrations at various locations within the capital, Khartoum, and the other states of Sudan, including Jazeera State, North Kordofan State, White Nile State, Kassala State and Sinnar State.
The demonstrators were responding to a 30% increase on the prices of basic commodities such as fuel, cooking oil and sugar announced following approval of a bill by parliament early that month. They were also protesting against a presidential promise of restrictions on freedom and the rejuvenation of the near-dormant sharia law.
The peaceful demonstrations were met by riot police brutality, imprisonment of protesters and non-protesters from the streets, a wave of imprisonments of political activists from their homes and young members of Sudanese opposition political parties, the imprisonment of journalists and general clamp down on the Sudanese Communist Party’s activities and members. Released detainees have reported seeing scenes of physical torture of male activists/demonstrators as well as psychological and emotional torture of female activists/demonstrators.
The protests were called for by several Facebook pages:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/alantfadt-alswdanyt-dd-alkyzan-2011/127360107330689
http://www.facebook.com/#!/ahraralsudan.sudan
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=743019972#!/pages/shbab-lajl-altghyrshrart/119853051421928
There are more than 20 persons still detained in the National Congress Party prisons – some are in known prisons, others remain missing – none of the detainees have been charged with any crime and or arrested in an official manner, three/four police members both uniformed and non-uniformed would jump on the demonstrators and push them or carry them to a pickup truck without providing any reasons for the arrest and/or caution or reading the arrested party their rights.
Below are a group of reports on the incidents in the Sudan.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/02/03/sudan-violent-response-peaceful-protests
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/04/uk-sudan-protests-idUKTRE7132ZY20110204
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12343307
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/2011131153313865676.html
http://amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/sudan-urged-end-protest-crackdown-2011-01-31
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-549844
Your name:
Signature:
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PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE APRIL 11, 2011 TO:
President HE Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir
Office of the President
People’s Palace PO Box 281
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: +249 183 782 541
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Justice
Mr Mohammed Bushara Dousa
Ministry of Justice, PO Box 302
Al Nil Avenue
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: +249 183 764 168
Salutation: Your Excellency
And copies to:
Minister of Interior
Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Hamed
Ministry of Interior
PO Box 873
Khartoum, Sudan
Also send protests to the Sudanese embassy in your country.
Names of detainees
Abu Obeida Abakar
Ahmad Al Tigani (currently being subjected to torture and humiliation)
Ahmed Babiker Mohammed
Ahmed Salih
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Fouad
Ahmed Mohammed Osman
Ahmed Mahmooud
Adam Mohammed Ismaeel
Osama Ameen Obeid
Ashraf Izz Eldeen
Aminah Al Sayed
Aminah Osman
Ameer Munier Abou Shamah
Ameen (surname unconfirmed)
Anas Abdul Rahman
Anour (surname unconfirmed)
Basil (surname unconfirmed)
Basheer Hassan
Baha El Deen Mahjoub
Taj El Deen Ahmed
Tharwat Souar Al Dahab
Thuriyah Habeeb
Jebreel (surname unconfirmed)
Hatem Azhari
Husam Mohammed Zain
Hassan Abdul Rahman Al Zaki
Hassan (Bantoun)
Hamza Balool Al Ameer
Khalid Tawfeeg
Khalid Mohammed Al Moutasim
Kheiry Naser
Dr Ashraf Izz Eldeen
Dr Hussam Malek
Dina (surname unconfirmed)
Rashed Abul Hassan (currently being subjected to torture)
Rashed Ahmed
Rashed Abdul Wahab
Rahma Mohammed Osman
Rushan Oshie
Rawa Salah Abdul Kareem
Rowaa Ahmed Osman
Sarah Taj El Sir
Samer Hassan
Samer Salah Al Deen
Saedyah Issa (was refused medication for a chronic medical condition)
Suliman Widda
Samah Bushrah
Samah Keshah
Samah Mohammed Adam
Shiraz Al Nazeer
Siddig Abdul Jabar
Salah Mubarak Al Fadel
Souhib Al Kareb
Souhib Abbas (currently being subjected to life-threatening torture)
Doha Al Nazeer
Adel Ibraheem Karrar
Alem Shareef
Amer (surname unconfirmed)
Doha Al Nazeer
Adel Ibraheem Karar
Alem Shareef
Amer (surname unconfirmed)
Abdul Aziz Kabalyi
Adbullah Al Aydarous
Abdulllah (surname unconfirmed)
Abdullahi Makki (subjected to torture)
Abdul Razieg (surname unconfirmed)
Abdul Rahman Mohammed Hassan
Adbul Azeem Mohamed Ahmed Osman (suffers from chronic medical condition and is currently being subjected to torture)
Abeer Ahmed Babkir
Abeer Mohammed
Afra (surname unconfirmed)
Ali Al Naeem
Ali Haj Al Ameen
Ali Hamdan
Ali Mohammed Khalid
Omar Ahmed Hamid
Omar Hassan
Omar Abdul Bagi
Omar Mahjoub
Issa Basher
Al Fateh (surname unconfirmed)
Farouq Osama
Fatima (surname unconfirmed)
Fatima Ghazali
Al Fateh Al Seedig
Fateh Al Aleem Al Hadi
Fakhri Halimah
Kamal Mohammed Osman (currently subjected to torture)
Lois Awelwel Warank (currently subjected to life-threatening torture)
Maher Hassan El Feel
Mujahed Abdul Mutal
Mahjoub Taj El Sir
Mouhsin Abdul Ghader
Mohammed Ahmed (surname unconfirmed)
Mohammed Ismaeel Hamid
Mohammed Al Ameer
Mohammed Al Hayder
Mohammed Al Sanjak
Mohammed Al Saddig
Mohammed Al Hindi
Mohammed Rahama
Mohammed Siddeeg
Mohammed Salah Abdul Rahman
Mohammed Adil
Mohammed Abdul Rahman (currently subjected to life-threatening torture)
Mohammed Abdullah Al Khateeb
Mohammed Osman Kujari
Mohammed Ali
Mohammed Imad
Mohammed Awad
Mohammed Kamal Ibraheem Ahmed
Mohammed Marzoug
Mohammed Wadeea
Mohammed Ali Al Omdah
Mohammed Kamal Ibraheem Ahmed
Moukhtar Bader Al Sanousi
Marwa Al Tijani
Marwa Al Rayeh
Muzamel Ali
Mustafa Abdul Rahman
Mustafa Mohammed Ali
Mousab Zain Al Abedeen
Mousab Marino
Moutaz Mohammed
Moutasim Zakeria
Mountaser Zain Al Abedeen
Mona Al Soubki
Mona (surname unconfirmed)
Mohaned El Derderi (currently subjected to life-threatening torture)
Najem El Deen
Nazar Al Fadel
Naseer El Deen Yousif
Nafisa Al Nour Hajar
Nouha Al Nager
Wadaha Gorishi
Waleed Al Hadiyah
Yousif Mubarak Al Fadel
Mohammed Ahmed Soliman
28 Students from Sinnar University (names unknown).