‘Dangerous culture of impunity in Sudan’: Amnesty

The brutal suppression of protest in Sudan must end, and members of the security forces responsible for killing, injuring, and torturing protesters must be held to account, Amnesty International (AI) and the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) state in a joint report published today. The report, “Excessive and deadly: the use of force, detention and torture against protesters in Sudan”, documents allegations of human rights violations committed by the security forces against mostly peaceful protesters over the past two years. It reveals a disturbing pattern of arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and excessive use of force, including the use of live ammunition resulting in scores of deaths and injuries. It also reveals a widespread state of impunity in which those allegedly responsible for these violations are not held to account.“The use of unnecessary or disproportionate force, including at times lethal force, by the security forces appears to be a deliberate attempt to crush protest. The absence of accountability for those in the security forces illustrates the dangerous culture of impunity that exists in Sudan,” said Katherine Perks, Programme Director at ACJPS. The report examines four protests that were violently dispersed by the police, the National Intelligence Security Service (NISS), and other security forces. These include country-wide protests in June 2012, and in September and October 2013, as well as demonstrations at El Gezira University in December 2012, and the University of Khartoum in March 2014. Unlawful use of force  The government response to these protests was characterised by excessive use of force, arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment with protesters beaten and fired on with rubber bullets and live ammunition by security forces. At least 185 people were killed during the 2013 protests. “In cases where demonstrators did resort to violence, throwing stones and burning tires, the response by security services, including incidents where live ammunition was fired, was unnecessary and disproportionate”, the joint report states. During the 2012 protests, twelve demonstrators -ten of whom were children- were killed by gunfire on a single day. Of the 185 killed during the 2013 protests, the majority were shot in the head or chest. Many others were shot in the back. One of the dead was found to have been wounded by gunfire, and then shot again at point-blank range. There are numerous instances where police and NISS officers reportedly blocked protester’s access to hospitals, or arrested injured demonstrators in need of medical treatment. Others chose not to go to hospital for fear of arrest and intimidation.  Arbitrary detentions  Since 2012, hundreds of demonstrators, including scores of human rights defenders, members of political opposition parties, students and other activists, have been detained and held incommunicado without charge. Many detainees were reportedly subjected to ill-treatment, with some being punched, kicked, electrocuted, and beaten with rubber hoses by NISS agents. Some detainees were made to stand outside for hours in the heat, whilst others were placed in cells which were kept deliberately cold. Some were forced to adopt stress positions, and others were subjected to threats of rape, and other verbal abuse of a sexual nature. Many were kept in overcrowded conditions, and denied food, water, and access to basic hygiene facilities.  Impunity  “Despite credible evidence of human rights violations, the government of Sudan has repeatedly failed to ensure prompt, thorough, impartial and effective investigations, nor has it taken steps to provide reparation to the victims”, the joint report says. “While it has set up Committees with a mandate to investigate the incidents, their composition, the parameters of their investigations and their findings have never been made public,” AI and ACJPS state. Immunities provided in law to government officials, including members of the NISS and the police, have acted as an obstacle to accountability, as they create legal barriers to effective investigations and prosecutions into human rights violations. Criminal complaints that have been lodged by victims and their families have been met with a lack of will to investigate by the competent authorities. Only one of 85 criminal complaints made by families of the victims of the 2013 protests has gone to trial. Some of those who lodged complaints have faced harassment and intimidation and, knowing these risks, the majority of victims have not attempted to seek justice. “Victims and their families are still awaiting justice and there is an urgent need for transparent, thorough and impartial investigations into the killings, arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment inflicted on protesters since 2012,” Perks said. “It is vital that those responsible for these human right violations are brought to justice in fair trials without recourse to the death penalty and that the laws that grant security forces immunities are urgently reformed,” AI’s Sudan researcher, Manar Idris, stressed. AI has not been granted access to Sudan since 2006. File photo: Citizens protesting in Khartoum against the lifting of subsidies, 24 September 2013 (hurriyatsudan)  Related:One dies as troops fire on Darfuri students in Khartoum (11 March 2014)Sudanese Solidarity Committee demands release of detained protesters (9 January 2014)Sudanese doctors report 210 dead in Khartoum during demonstrations (29 September 2013)Army Major resigns, ‘thousands’ arrested across Sudan (25 September 2013)