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Letter of Appeal from the AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility

27 June 2001


His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir
President of the Republic of Sudan
Peoples' Palace
PO Box 281
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: 011 24911 787676 / 011 24911 783223


Your Excellency:

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the largest organization of natural and social scientists in the United States, and the world's largest federation of scientific organizations, with 145,000 individual members and 300 affiliated groups. Our AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility was formed in 1976 to protect the human rights of scientists and to deal with issues relating to scientific freedom worldwide.

On behalf of the Committee, I am writing to express my concern about reports that Mr. Faisal el Bagir Mohamed , a journalist and member of the Sudan Victims of Torture Group and the Amal Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture and Violence, is being held incommunicado. It is my understanding that he was detained shortly after participating in two meetings with Ministry of Justice officials where he was requesting official permission to organize special events to commemorate the fourth annual United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. As I am sure you are aware, this day commemorates 26 June 1987, the date that the UN Convention against Torture first came into force. In over 80 countries, rehabilitation centers, such as the Amal Center will be holding special events intended to honor victims of torture.

I respectfully request the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Faisal el Bagir Mohamed as it appears that he is being held solely for exercising his rights to freedom of expression and association. While he is in custody, I urge the Sudanese authorities to guarantee that Mr. Faisal el Bagir Mohamed is not tortured or ill-treated, granted immediate access to a lawyer and his family, and given any medical attention that he may require.

It is also my understanding that security forces still have not returned confidential patient records and office equipment to the Amal Center that were seized in March. I once again, call upon your good offices to see that all patient files and office equipment are promptly returned to Dr. Nagmeldin, Director of the Amal Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture and Violence. I also request that the Amal Center be immediately reopened.

The detention of Mr. Faisal el Bagir Mohamed is in violation of several international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted without opposition by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948. Relevant articles include:

· Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.
· Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
· Article 9: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
· Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Mr. Faisal el Bagir Mohamed's detention also violates several articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Sudan is a state party, including:

· Article 7: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
· Article 9(1): Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.
· Article 9(2): Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him.
· Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

The continued harassment of human rights defenders, such as Mr. Faisal el Bagir Mohamed and the recent harassment of Dr. Nagib Nagmeldin and his staff at the Amal Center also violates human rights standards as defined in the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. This declaration, known commonly as the Human Rights Defenders Declaration was passed by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998. Relevant articles include:

· Article 7: Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to develop and discuss new human rights ideas and principles and to advocate their acceptance.
· Article 12(2): The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the [Universal Declaration of Human Rights].


Sincerely,


Carole Nagengast, Ph.D., Chair
Committee on Scientific Freedom
and Responsibility


CC: Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim Mohamed

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