28 November 2008

Further Information on UA 325/08 (26 November 2008) – Incommunicado detention/ Risk of torture

SUDAN Osman Hummaida (m), aged 45, human rights defender
Abdel Monim Elgak (m), aged 34, human rights defender

At half past midnight on the morning of 28 November, Osman Hummaida was released after being detained incommunicado for three days by the National Security and Intelligence Services (NISS) in Khartoum. Although he is not believed to have been charged, he may face charges in the coming days or weeks.

In the evening of 26 November, Abdel Monim Elgak was released after having been detained by the NISS that morning. Although he was requested to present himself at the NISS offices for another interrogation on 27 November, he did not report because he was in poor health and is believed to have received hospital treatment that day.

Both Osman Hummaida and Abdel Monim Elgak were subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment while in detention by the NISS. Information available to Amnesty International indicates that during interrogations they were beaten. They were allegedly also subjected to the “waterboarding” technique, which means they would have been immobilized on their backs with their heads inclined downward and water poured over their faces, obstructing their breathing.

Osman Hummaida, who suffers from high blood pressure and asthma, was denied access to a doctor during his time in detention. Both men were held without access to the outside world. A visit request by a family member of Osman’s was denied. Reports indicate that UK embassy representatives were also refused access to Osman Hummaida, who holds a British passport, although they were providing him and his next of kin with consular assistance.

Amnesty International believes that both Osman Hummaida and Abdel Monim Elgak were detained solely because of the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and association, and more specifically for their involvement and outspokenness on human rights issues in Sudan. They were prisoners of conscience.

Thank you to all who sent appeals. No further action is needed.