Amira Osman, No for Women's Oppression
ISHR joins civil society groups in calling for the immediate release of Sudanese WHRDs in detention.
Update: On February 6th, 2022, Amira Osman was released from detention.
On January 22nd, 2022 at 1 am, security forces with arms raided the house of the President of No for Women Oppression Amira Osman and arrested from her home. They broke into her room and took her to an unknown place. Her sister and colleagues informed our organisations that the security forces identified themselves as a drug fighting force. Amira has a disability due to a work injury a few years ago, which requires continuous medical care that she does not have access to inside detention. She is an engineer by profession and prominent woman human rights defender and feminist activist. Amira was not allowed to have access to lawyers, or medical care. Her family expressed their extreme worry for her wellbeing, as her whereabouts remain unknown.
On January 15th, 2022, three women were arrested from Royal care hospital while visiting their friend who was injured, one of the detainees is a medical professional. Security forces raided the hospital and arrested 6 people among them the injured young male protester who is a minor of 17 years old. The police framed charges against the women and their friends for participating in the mysterious killing of a police officer on the 13th of January. According to the detainees’ lawyer, the 5 detainees were detained in very difficult conditions, as they saw signs of torture on their clients. Lawyers and one of the women detainees confirmed to our organisations that they are facing verbal and physical harassment inside the detention. Two of the women detained were released for one day after the charges were dropped by the prosecutor on January 20th, 2022 and rearrested again the next day following their release. They remain in detention inside the police investigative unit in Bahry. The lawyers of these detainees sent an appeal and tried to meet with the general prosecutor to inquire about the rearrest of the detainees, but they were prevented from meeting the prosecutor. The lawyers issued a statement accusing the prosecutor of abandoning his duties in protection of the law, the detainees rights and their lawyers rights to be informed of the reasons for their arrest.
On January 17th 2022, the council for defense and security formed by the military decided to form a new anti-terrorism force. The meeting statement started using the word “terrorists” to describe the protesters and their resistance actions, such as describing streets barricades as terrorists’ attacks against community. The statement of the military council said that protesters crossed the red-lines of State sovereignty. These remarks and decisions are highly worrying as it will lead to more use of legal fabrications to frame charges against protesters and activists.
The military is closing the civic space for women’s rights groups and women human rights defenders using anti-terrorism terms to describe the resistance movement in Sudan, including women’s rights groups. The recent arrests of women activists are part of a systemic attack against women WHRDs in Sudan. The military and security is using social media and traditional media to defame women protesters, using different terms including calling women protesters groups of abusing drugs. Women’s rights groups and WHRDs are facing a new wave of attacks that include framing charges to prolong the detention of WHRDs and defame the women’s rights movement. The military reinstated the authorities of the former regime’s security forces in December 2021 in the emergency order number 3. The new emergency order gave Sudanese security complete impunity and protection from accountability for any form of violations on duty. Sudanese security forces has a well-documented history of sexual abuse and torture of women detainees. WHRDs in detention are at risk of maltreatment, torture, and sexual violence. We express our deep concern about their safety and wellbeing.
We, the undersigned groups, call for:
Signatories:
During an Enhanced Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan on 19 June, in which he presented his most recent report to the UN Human Rights Council, ISHR made a statement noting that the pursuit of justice for women and girls in Afghanistan demands a multifaceted approach including various accountability mechanisms.
Human rights groups urge action to protect Sudanese refugees, especially women and girls, according to the 1951 Refugee Convention on non-refoulment.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights concluded its 79th Ordinary Session held in a hybrid format from 14 May to 3 June 2024. The Commission reviewed the human rights situation in Africa, examined eight communications and one State periodic report, granted observer status to 10 NGOs and held nine panels, among others.
