Sudan activists in custody hearing today

Aug 30, 2016

They are facing two overlapping criminal cases, one opened following a raid on the organisation in March 2015 and another following a second raid in February 2016.

The 10 Sudanese activists who have been in detention since May 2016 are to appear in court today over charges of crimes against the state.

According to a press release from Amnesty International, the activists, who are affiliated with Tracks for Training and Development (TRACKs), a Khartoum-based training organisation which provides training on a range of issues from IT to human rights were scheduled to be heard on 24 August 2016, but was postponed to today, 30 August.

"They are facing two overlapping criminal cases, one opened following a raid on the organisation in March 2015 and another following a second raid in February 2016. They have been charged with a number of offences including crimes against the state that carry the death penalty," reads the press release.
However, Mossaad Mohamed Ali, Executive Director of the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies says the criminal charges, arrests and raids all appear aimed at intimidating TRACKs staff members and disrupting the operation of the organisation.

"Sudan must immediately and unconditionally release the detainees, drop all charges that stem from their peaceful activities and let TRACKS staff and their affiliates conduct their work without fear of reprisals."

Human rights organisations have long called on Sudan to reform repressive laws, including the National Security Act of 2010 which vests the security agency with wide powers of arrest and detention for up to four and a half months without judicial review in addition to powers of search and seizure. Sudan also continues to use the death penalty, implemented by hanging, for a range of offences. These laws have been used to crack down on civil society and human rights defenders.

"Sudan must reform its laws in line with its own constitution and international obligations, especially the National Security Act; the Volunteer and Humanitarian Work Act of 2006; and the Criminal Law of 1991," says Andie Lambe, Executive Director of the International Refugee Rights Initiative.

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