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

6 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 welcome the 29 March 2001 release of Dr. Nagib Nagmeldin , Director of the Amel Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture and Violence in Khartoum. However, I remained concerned about reports that in a raid following Dr. Nagmeldin's arrest, security forces seized patient records from the Amel Center and then closed down the Center. It is my understanding that Dr. Nagmeldin went to security services headquarters to reclaim the material on 7 April and again on 9 April. Each time, security forces questioned him further. I am concerned that, to this date, none of the materials have been returned to Dr. Nagmeldin. Furthermore, the Amel Center remains closed without explanation.

I call upon your good offices to effectuate the return of all patient files and office equipment to Dr. Nagmeldin. I would further request the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Amel Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture and Violence.


Sincerely,

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


CC: Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim Mohamed

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