Press Release

The Gezira State must ensure academic freedoms and the rule of law
Strong condemnation to police and security brutalities in the Gezira University

January 22, 2008

The police and security forces in the city of Medani, the Gezira State, arrested 40 students of the Gezira University this past week. Students Khadija al-Dowaihi (agricutlure), Hiba al-Rasheed (medicine), Julia alSir (engineering), Suha Ahmed (economics), Amel Faisal (engineering), Sarya Murad and Aisha (pharmacy) were beaten up by both police and security officers. Students Mutawakil Mohamed Osman (engineering), Ali Mohamed Ali (education), Omer Osman (economics) were brutalized. The Medani security officers tortured, in particular, student Ali Mohamed Ali who witnessed the tortures of several colleagues, including the immediate death of student Mutasim Hamid AbulGasim (computer science) as a result of brutal tortures by police and security officers.

The authorities’ assault on the students occurred at the College of Education during scheduled discussions by the Students Democratic Front as a part of students’ campus activities. Following the police brutality on the college of education, the police launched another intimidating attack on the Students Club at al-Nishayshiba, which ended with serious destruction of the club’sproperty, as well as the enforcement of further arrests and tortures of students.

The Sudan Human Rights Organization Cairo Office condemns in the strongest terms possible the brutal attacks, murders, and tortures by the Medani police and security forces on students of the Gezira University in Medani and the Nishayshiba area.

• The Organization asks the Government of the Gezira State to subject the murderers and torturers of the Police and Security Department to an immediate and fully independent judicial investigation that should determine the personal responsibility, violation of law, and misconduct of the wrong-doers, regardless of status or rank.