Sudan / Several journalists on opposition daily tortured in prison
KARTHOUM, Sudan, May 26, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Reporters Without Borders today condemned as “disgraceful” the mistreatment in prison of four journalists from the banned daily Rai al-Shaab.
The paper’s deputy editor, Abuzar al Amin, who was arrested on 18 May and is still in detention, has told his lawyer that he was tortured in prison. He added that three of his colleagues, Nagi Dahab, Ashraf Abdelaziz and Abu Baker Al-Sammani, all held on state security premises, also showed marks of torture.
“The mistreatment inflicted on these journalists is shameful. As well as being imprisoned without reason, they have suffered gratuitous and repeated violence”, the worldwide press freedom organisation said, repeating its call for their immediate release.
A photograph sent by the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) of which Reporters Without Borders has obtained a copy, shows bruising to the right ribs of Abuzar al Amin. He lost consciousness after being severely beaten on the stomach, back and limbs and after receiving electric shocks.
The Sudanese authorities accused him of trying to destabilise the regime and making war on the state. His three colleagues, also arrested on 18 May, apparently suffered similar treatment.
Sudanese opposition figure and owner of the newspaper, Hassan al-Turabi, who was arrested at the same time as the journalists, remains in Kober prison in the north of the capital, Khartoum.
Five days after the arrest of his colleagues, on 23 May, the paper’s political editor, Altahir Ibrahim, was arrested in his turn at his home in Omdurman in the north-east of the country. He has been held since then in at a secret location belonging to state security. He has also been given electric shocks and was brutally beaten.
SOURCE
Reporters without Borders (RSF)
