22nd February 2016
Urgent Action
TWO PASTORS’ WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN AFTER ARREST
Two pastors Hassan Abduelraheem Kodi andTelal Ngosi were arrested by National Intelligence and security services (NISS) on 18th December 2015. Their whereabouts is still unknown. Their families and church authority were prevented from visiting them. Both are at risk of torture. Pastor Hassan Abdelraheem Kodi, 49, the secretary general of Sudanese church of Christ and Pastor Telal Ngosi, 44, were arrested on 18th Dec 2015 by NISS officers. They were interrogated for attending Christian conference in Addis Ababa. Kodi and Ngosi participated in a Christian conference held on 20th October 2015 in Addis Ababa. The conference was about the situation of both Sudanese and South Sudanese Christians. Kodi and Ngosi attended among the Sudanese church of Christ representative. Since 18th Dec 2015, the two pastors were held incommunicado, NISS prevented their families and the church representatives from visiting them or access to lawyers. There are fears that both could be under torture or ill[1]treatment. Already Kodi is known to be suffering from duodenal ulcers, therefore any ill treatment could exaggerate his condition. Please write immediately in English, Arabic or in your own language to
· Calling on the authorities to reveal the whereabouts of Hassan Abduelraheem Kodi and Telal Ngosi immediately
· Urging the authorities to either charge them with an internationally recognizable offence or immediately and unconditionally release them
· Calling on the authorities to give them access to a legal representative of their own choice and allow them visits from their families and coworkers
· Calling the authorities to ensure that Kodi gets access to proper health service.
· Urging authorities to ensure that the two Pastors are not subjected to torture or any ill-treatment.
PLEASE SEND APPEAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir Office of the President People’s Palace PO Box 281 Khartoum.
Sudan Ministry of Justice, Awad Alhassan Elnour AlJamhurya ST Khartoum, Sudan PO 302/11111 Email. moj@moj.gov.sd Fax. 0024983791544.
Minister of Guidance and Endowments Ammar Mirghani Hussain Khartoum, 60 ST west Bashair furniture co. Email. info@irshad.gov.sd Tel. +249183248475 Fax. +249183248475
HUDO Centre More information:
HUDO centre frequently receives reports about Christian’s situations in Sudan, which increase the concern on them. Within the same period (18th Dec2015) NISS arrested Pastor Kuwa abu Zumam the Pastor of Khartoum North Church of Christ, and confiscated some of his belongs. On 21st Dec. 2015, he was released on condition that he reports to NISS office daily at 9:00AM. He reports but they keep him at their office up to night’s hours. On 26th Nov 2015 a voluntary Christian theology teacher Ayoub Kafi Paulus who works as house/security guard was arrested by police officers and took him to Kafuri police station. He teaches Christianity to his Christian neighbors’ children, the police interrogated him about this activity. He was apprehended without any legal reasons up to his release on 28th Nov 2015. There is no legal case registered against him. On 25th Jun 2015 police arrested twelve (12) Christian girls from the church and filed a case under Article (152) which indicates indecent dressing Sudanese criminal Act 1991 the case was held against ten of them, their ages were between seventeen to twenty three years. Later the court of Khartoum North charged some of them and dismissed the other cases. National intelligence and security service (NISS) authorizes to arrest and interrogate according to NISS Act 2010 amended on 2015. NISS Act 2010 is regularly condemned/criticized basing on its contradictions with Interim National Constitution 2005 and the Sudan bill of rights respectively.