Præsident Omar al-Bashir’s regering i Khartoum har lovet at frigive alle landets politiske fanger. Men sådan er det ikke gået 23 dage efter løftet blev afgivet, anfører flere NGO’er herunder Human Rights Watch
NAIROBI, 22. april 2013: Sudan has released 24 civilian political prisoners following president Omar al-Bashir’s recent pledge to “free all political detainees,” but at least 100 remain, Human Rights Watch, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, and the Human Rights and Development Organization (HUDO) said Monday.
The remaining political prisoners, most from the country’s conflict-hit peripheries, should also be released, the groups said.
The organizations called on the government to allow independent monitoring into prisons and detention facilities to account for all remaining political prisoners.
“The release of these detainees is good news, but the government should free all political prisoners and allow independent monitors into the places of detention,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Sudan should also urgently reform its repressive national security laws in line with international standards.”
On April 1, 2013, al-Bashir announced that all political prisoners would be released. The still detained people are held on the basis of their presumed political affiliations.
Such detentions amount to arbitrary (vilkårlige) detentions under international law, and the detainees have not been afforded due process or charged with any legally recognizable offense.
Most of the detainees are from Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile where the government has been fighting armed rebels since 2011.
Many of the remaining detainees are being held either by national security or military authorities where the detainees do not have the basic protections to which they are entitled under Sudanese and international law.
Some 38 civilians from Southern Kordofan remain in national security detention while 51 remain in military detention, according to information gathered by HUDO. None have been charged with a crime.
“Sudanese military should under no circumstances hold civilians, even in times of conflict.Authorities should charge or release all the detainees and provide them access to lawyers and family visits, as required under Sudanese law ” said Osman Hummaida, executive director of the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies.
Læs mere om de sudanesiske fanger her: http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/22/sudan-despite-pledge-many-political-prisoners-remain
