July 31, 2012

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned over reports of the arrest and detention without charge of student leader Mohammed Salah Mohammed of Sudan.

SAR asks for letters, faxes and emails urging the appropriate authorities to examine the circumstances of his arrest and to intervene to ensure his well-being, pending his earliest release, including ensuring immediate and regular access to the legal counsel of his choosing, to family and to medical treatment.

Scholars at Risk is an international network of over 280 universities and colleges in 34 countries dedicated to promoting academic freedom and its constituent freedoms of thought, opinion, expression, association and travel. In cases like that of Mohammed Salah Mohammed, involving alleged infringement of these freedoms, Scholars at Risk intervenes hoping to clarify and resolve matters favorably.

Mohammed Salah Mohammed is a student in the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Khartoum, where he is also the spokesperson of the Student Democratic Front and the President of the Nubians’ regional student association, which reports describe as a group of minority students from the Nubian region in north Sudan. Scholars at Risk has received reports that, on June 24th, Mohammed Salah Mohammed was arrested by the National Intelligence and Security Service while having dinner in a Khartoum restaurant. He was arrested in the week following non-violent student protests in which he took part. Scholars at Risk understands that Mohammed Salah Mohammed is being held in Kober prison, where, according to reports, he is at risk of ill-treatment. Scholars at Risk understands that Mohammed Salah Mohammed has not been formally charged, and that he has not yet been granted access to legal counsel or to medical treatment—which is of particular concern given that he suffers from chronic kidney disease.

Absent any additional or contrary information, the facts as described appear to constitute violations of internationally recognized human rights and standards of due process and detention, as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Sudan has acceded. 

Scholars at Risk therefore joins with national and international academic associations and human rights organizations in respectfully urging the appropriate authorities to examine the circumstances of Mohammed Salah Mohammed’s detention and to intervene to ensure his well-being including ensuring immediate and regular access to legal counsel of his choosing, to family and to medical treatment. Given the public reports surrounding Mohammed Salah Mohammed’s detention, Scholars at Risk further urges authorities to explain publicly the reasons for his detention or, absent this, to arrange for his earliest release.

Scholars at Risk invites letters, emails and faxes be sent:

--respectfully urging authorities to examine the circumstances of Mohammed Salah Mohammed’s detention;

--respectfully urging authorities to intervene to ensure his well-being including ensuring immediate and regular access to legal counsel of his choosing, to family and to medical treatment; and

--given the public reports surrounding Mohammed Salah Mohammed’s detention, respectfully urging authorities to explain publicly the reasons for his detention or, absent this, to arrange for his earliest release.

PLEASE WRITE TO:

President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir
Office of the President
People's Palace
P.O. Box 281
Khartoum
Sudan
Email: info@sudan.gov.sd

COPIES TO:

Mohammed Bushara Dousa
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
P.O. Box 302
Al Nil Avenue
Khartoum, Sudan

Ibrahim Mohamed Hamed
Minister of Interior
Ministry of Interior
PO Box 873
Khartoum, Sudan

The Honorable Hillary R. Clinton
United States Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC  20520 USA

The Honorable Navanethem Pillay
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

The Honorable _________
Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to [YOUR COUNTRY]
[POSTAL ADDRESS]
[FAX]
[EMAIL]

The Honorable _________
Ambassador of [YOUR COUNTRY] to the Republic of Sudan
[POSTAL ADDRESS]
[FAX]
[EMAIL]

Scholars at Risk
New York University
194 Mercer St., 4th floor
New York, NY 10012 USA
Fax: +1 212 995-4402
Email: scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu

To view a model letter of appeal, as well as a copy of SAR's letter, please visit: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/Education-Advocacy/Alerts-Scholars-in-Prison.php.