The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the arbitrary arrest and detention of Sudanese lawyer Montaser Abdullah since 7 September 2024 by the Sudanese Armed Forces. Mr Abdullah has provided legal representation for the Sudanese Congress Party for the past three years, acting as a lawyer for their legal committee and taking on human rights related and politically sensitive cases through them. It is believed that his arrest is linked to this work. Mr Abdullah’s detention highlights the critical situation for lawyers in Sudan since the beginning of the war in 2023.
Joint statement for arrested and detained Sudanese lawyer Montaser Abdullah
Tuesday 29 October 2024
Lawyers for Lawyers, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, the Institute for the Rule of Law of the International Association of Lawyers, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe, the Sudanese Defenders Center for Legal Aid, the International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger, REDRESS and the Law Society of England and Wales express deep concerns over the arbitrary arrest and detention of Sudanese lawyer Montaser Abdullah since 7 September 2024 by the Sudanese Armed Forces.
It is believed that Mr Abdullah’s arrest is linked to his work as the lawyer representing members of the Democratic Forces Coordination, a political coalition which finds amongst its members the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP). Montaser Abdullah has provided legal representation for the SCP for the past three years, notably as a lawyer for their legal committee and taking up human rights and politically sensitive cases through them. Members of the SCP have been investigated by the national prosecutor since at least 31 March 2024. Mr Abdullah was preparing the defence and collecting further information on the prosecutor’s investigation at the time of his arrest.
On 7 September 2024, Mr Abdullah was arrested by security forces in Port Sudan. He was reportedly taken from his office in the middle of the day and was subsequently detained incommunicado until 3 October 2024, when Mr Abdullah was brought before the Court of Port Sudan.
On 3 October 2024, Mr Abdullah was presented before the court of Port Sudan under guard supervision. This has reportedly been done in an attempt to coerce him into testifying against himself, which he refused to do. On 9 October, Mr Abdullah’s close ones were finally able to meet with him in Port Sudan Prison, for the first time since his disappearance. During this exchange, Mr Abdullah shared that he had been a victim of gross mistreatment whilst in detention, and he was showing physical signs of abuse. He also reported having been beaten repeatedly since his arrest. Mr Abdullah is currently being kept in the highest security section of Port Sudan Prison. The undersigned organisations express serious concerns as to the treatment of Mr Abdullah whilst he remains in detention. A charge against Mr Abdullah has since been filed for espionage under Article 53 of the Sudanese 1991 Criminal Code, raising concerns that his detention is arbitrary.
The Public Prosecution Office (PPO) affirmed that Mr Abdullah was arrested on 3 October 2024 and his arrest followed legal procedures outlined in the Criminal Procedure Act of 1991. However, Mr Abdullah’s arrest was in violation of Article 48 of the Sudanese Advocate Law of 1983 which provides that for a lawyer to be arrested their immunity must first be revoked.
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