Sudan party summoned to discuss detentions with head of National Security

The leadership of one of Sudan’s opposition parties was summoned to a meeting with the head of the security apparatus, to discuss the release of the detained Communist Party’s leaders.

Saleh Mahmoud, a Sudanese human rights lawyer and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party told Radio Dabanga that he and the detained party’s leaders were taken to the headquarters of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Khartoum to attend a meeting with the head of the security apparatus, Salah Gosh.

“We did not learn about meeting with Gosh until our arrival at the headquarters,” said Mahmoud.

“Our party’s leadership made it clear to Gosh that they are or were being held in detention. According to the party’s regulations, at that time they have no authority to make any decision or enter into any form of commitments.

Several leading members of the Communist Party have been detained. In March, Tajelsir Osman (Bao), a member of the party’s political bureau, Fathi El Fadul, the spokesman for the party, Ali El Kinein, a member of the Central Committee, and Samir Khalil were detained. They joined Mohamed Mukhtar El Khateeb, Secretary-General of the Communist Party..

Many of those detained were arrested across Sudan during mass demonstrations against price hikes in January. Saleh Mahmoud: “The release of detainees is not a grant from any side, but the result of pressure from the Sudanese families of the detainees and activists, political parties and students.”

The lawyer explained that the conditions of the detainees inside Kober prison are deteriorating: “The cells and rooms are overcrowded and lack beds. The quality of services in the prison are low.”

According to Mahmoud detainees are banned from the means of communication, using pens and books, and their visitors face difficulties.

Political detainees’ release

NISS director Salah Gosh said in an interview with El Intibaha newspaper on February 20 that “The political detainees from the leftist parties would be released if their parties stop demonstrating and behave themselves!”

According to the Sudan Human Rights Network (SHRN), the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) holds political detainees as hostages “to prevent the Sudanese opposition from carrying out protests against the government”.

On Tuesday President Omar Al Bashir issued a public order to release all political detainees in the country in response to appeals from National Dialogue parties. Kober prison in Khartoum and Port Sudan prison, however, still hold 61 detainees of the Maaliya who have been there for more than nine months, along with seven other UPC students who were arrested after organising speeches at Khartoum Bahri market last year.

UN Expert visit

A United Nations press release this week noted the upcoming visit of the UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, to Sudan from 14 to 24 April. He will assess the implementation of recommendations made to the Government of Sudan by human rights mechanisms.

In the Darfur region, he will visit the Shallah Federal Prison. For this reason the Sudan Liberation Movement of the leadership of Arko Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) said that the government has not voluntarily taken the step to release political detainees: “It has done so in anticipation of the visit of the independent expert for human rights to Sudan to investigate and evaluate human rights.”