The Sudanese government is fully responsible for all violations committed by the Empowerment Removal Committee
Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) condemned the acts of intimidation by the Empowerment Removal Committee (ERC) against civil society and journalists in Sudan for expressing their opinions and publishing information of interest to Sudanese society.
Following the arrest of journalist Al-Tayeb Mostafa, acts of intimidation and threats by the ERC increased. The last of which was threatening the journalist Howaida Hamza for republishing a leaked message from prison for the detained journalist Al-Tayeb Mostafa.
The journalist Howaida Hamza told AOHR UK “On the afternoon of Friday 5 June 2020 officer Abdullah Soliman from the ERC called me and summoned me at headquarters of the legislative Counsil to investigate republishing the journalist Al-Tayeb Mostafa’s message. He threatened to arrest me if I did not go.”.
AOHR UK pointed out that the same officer had ordered the arrest of Al-Tayeb Mostafa and refused to release him based on a release court order, highlighting that such act is arbitrary and a crime punishable by law.
AOHR UK stated that the ERC’s establishing law breaches the basic principles of human rights and the law, since the law should not target a specific group of people, but it should be general to ensure the equality of people before the law enforcement authorities.
The caveats against the formation of this committee began to appear in reality by committing various violations against the targeted people and everyone who tries to criticize the committee’s work, as if it was above the law.
AOHR UK stressed that mutual revenge would not result in the establishment of a strong civil society in Sudan or promote principles of democracy, but would rather increase tension and the desire for revenge in the pursuit of power by force.
AOHR UK called on the relevant authorities in Sudan to dismantle this committee and to enact the current laws, and if new laws were needed it should be general and not targeting groups of people based on their affiliation.
AOHR UK holds the Sudanese fully responsible for the violations committed by this committee and urges the Prime Minister to enact the court release orders for journalists and political activist and to desist pursuing them.
