Sudanese authorities must end denial of identification documents as a tool of political retaliation

Sudanese authorities are systemically denying access to identification documents, especially passports, to human rights defenders, political opponents, and peace advocates calling for an end to the war, a sustainable peace, and a democratic transition. The Sudanese authorities, who came to power following a military coup on 25 October 2021, are using these measures as a tool of political retaliation.

There have also been targeted incidents where certain citizens of Sudan were denied their identification documents because of their ethnicity, especially those residing outside Sudan.

On 11 March 2025, the Ministry of Interior issued a decision clearly stating the right of all citizens, without discrimination, to obtain official identification documents. The issuance of directives to amend the immigration and travel ban regulations of 2021 affirmed that a travel ban must not cause the deprivation of any Sudanese citizen of the right to obtain their identification documents.

The General Administration of Passports continues to refrain from executing the decision, without any written legal basis, and persists in refusing or obstructing the issuing or renewing of passports for a number of citizens, especially political leaders and human rights activists.

This systemic obstruction by actors within the executive bodies, linked to the former regime, are part of a broader resurgence of figures affiliated with the previous government gaining control over the security services and civil administration in Sudan.

No formal legal reasons have been given for the refusals, which makes these actions a form of political discrimination that contravenes Articles 2, 3, and 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil, and Political Rights.

The consequences of these violations include: depriving individuals of the ability to travel for medical treatment, education, employment, or family reunification; subjecting them to discrimination based on political affiliation or opinion; using identification documents as a tool of political coercion and oppression and undermining public trust in the fairness and integrity of State institutions. In addition, it also has consequences on their ability to renew their residency permits in the countries where they reside now. It also has an impact on the families of those targeted by these measures, as they are unable to issue birth certificates and identification documents for their children.

Our organisations call on the Sudanese authorities to open immediate and transparent investigations into the obstruction of the Ministry of Interior’s decision, to hold those responsible accountable, and to end this discrimination and comply with its constitutional and international obligations.

Signatories:

1. Democratic Alliance of Lawyers
2. Legal Sector of the Federal Assembly
3. Al Jazeera Observatory for Human Rights
4. Legal Sector – Sudanese Congress
5. Central Observatory for Human Rights – Sudan
6. Sudanese Women Right Action (SUWRA)
7. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)