Statement by Darfur Bar Association (DBA): The Prosecutions and Systematic Security Arrests of Darfur Students in Universities

Darfur students are continually being targeted and subjected to different types of harassment by the students’ security and the public security organs. By arresting Darfuri students for long periods of time these the security forces are attempting to isolate Darfur student activists and human rights defenders from local and international environments, and hinder them from working on issues related to rights, general freedoms and activities of students movements.

The regime through its followers at the students’ security organ has taken waves of Darfur students to cunning trials after long periods in arbitrary detention. These actions are aimed at weakening Darfur students and diverting their attention from the national issues, through the regime’s affiliated students’ security organ, which is motivated by cheap political slyness.

Whenever a court rules a not guilty verdict for Darfur students, after a long period of unfair arbitrary detention, physical and moral torture and humiliating treatment which undermines human dignity, the regime considers the not guilty verdict as a temporary measure. The sufferings of Darfur students continue with the renewal of the arbitrary arrests without regulation or righteous procedures, the misuse of power and influence, substance abuse and abusing the usage of laws.

These unfair arrests have caused Darfur students to miss many years of study, which has deepened the feelings of citizenship inequality among the Darfur students and of negative discrimination, which generates the feelings of racism and social injustice which is threatening the coherence and national unity.

Today August 18, 2013, the Judge of Central Khartoum criminal court, Dr. Osama Ahmed Abdalla, has ruled a verdict of not guilty on five Darfur students in accordance to the article 141K/G in the cunning statement No 1153/2013, by Mutaz Abdalla Abdulgadir, a member of the security organ, due to lack of evidence. The released students were re-arrested on June 16, 2013 and they were detained, physically tortured by electric sticks and psychologically tortured through humiliating insults that degraded their human dignity. This torture continued for a one month period until July 16, 2013, when they were referred to the prosecutor of the crimes against the state, and they were kept in detention till July 7, 2013, when they were presented to the trail and five who were released on bond, are:

1. Ahmed Abdulrhman Altahir, studying at Sudan University, fifth year, he was arrested at the University during his study.
2.  Mohamed Abdalla Abdulkarim, studying at Sudan University, faculty of Music and Drama, fourth year, he was arrested inside the Omdurman Ahlia University.
3.  Ibrahim Adam Alhag, studying at Alnilin University, Faculty of Law, second year, arrested inside the University.
4.  Maawia Mohamed Musa Atim, studying at the Omdurman Ahlia University, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Science, third year, arrested inside the University.
5.  Basam Khamis Karama, studying at the Omdurman Ahlia University, Faculty of Art, arrested in the University Library.

Student Ibrahim Musa Hassan who is studying at the Omdurman Ahlia University was charged under articles 169 K and G, and 1991-26 KSZ, and a session is set for August 20, 2013 for the ruling.

The students who were released on verdict of not guilty spent 46 days in detention and 18 days during the trail procedures, until they received an innocent verdict by the judiciary, after been subjected to torture by electric sticks, tapes, and severely racist insults, while their eyes were blindfolded for two days, in a severe and great violation to human rights. The DBA condemn these great violations toward innocent Darfur students, and it will take appropriate and necessary measures to demand rectifying their wasted human situations.

Darfur Bar Association

August 18, 2013

Edits done by MacKennan at Darfur Women Action Group