Human rights experts at the United Nations yesterday urged the Sudanese government to drop charges with death penalty against six human rights activists.
Maina Kiai, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, said: โThe charges brought against them appear to be directly linked to their work in the defence of human rights, while exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association.
โThis sentence is likely to have a chilling effect among activists and human rights defenders in Sudan.โ
The six individuals were affiliated with a Khartoum-based human rights organisation, Training and Human Development (TRACKS). They were detained for three months without facing trial. After that, the State Security Prosecution Office charged them with criminal conspiracy, undermining the constitutional system, waging war against the State, espionage, and terrorism.
All the charges carry the death penalty.
โThe death penalty is an extreme form of punishment. lf used at all, it should only be imposed after a fair trial that respects the most stringent due process guarantees as stipulated in international human rights law,โ said Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. โI am seriously concerned that any trial of these six people would not uphold such principles.โ
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has noted that for the past two years, the Sudanโs Intelligence and Security Service constantly targeted activists. They raid offices, confiscating documents, equipment, and passports.
On several occasions, they also allegedly detained and tortured activists at the intelligence services office.
