05.05.2008 - Source: Freedom House

Security forces practise arbitrary arrest and torture with impunity; prison conditions do not meet international standards ("The Worst of the Worst: The World's Most Repressive Societies 2008") [ID 23575]

"Police and security forces practice arbitrary arrest and torture with impunity, and prison conditions do not meet international standards."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Prison conditions remain harsh and overcrowded; many prisons lack basic facilities and health care; both government and rebel forces routinely mistreat persons in custody; juveniles are often held with adults and subjected to sexual abuse ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22999]

"Prison conditions throughout the country remained harsh and overcrowded.

Most prisons were old and poorly maintained, and many lacked basic facilities such as toilets or showers.

Health care was primitive; prisoners usually relied on family or friends for food. Prison officials arbitrarily denied visits to prisoners.

The government routinely mistreated persons in custody.

There were credible reports that security forces held detainees incommunicado; beat them; deprived them of food, water, and toilets; and forced them to sleep on cold floors.

Prisoners died from lack of health care and poor prison conditions.

Juveniles often were held with adults and in some cases subjected to sexual abuse by adult inmates.

High‑ranking political prisoners reportedly often enjoyed better conditions than did other prisoners.

The government did not permit regular visits to prisons by domestic human rights observers. [...] the government routinely denied requests by the UN to visit prisons. The government refused to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to government prisons during the year.

By contrast, the Prisons Directorate of the Government of Southern Sudan routinely granted prison access to the ICRC, UN, and other international observers.

Detention centers operated by rebel forces were comparable to those operated by the government.

On August 14, United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) observers visited a detention facility operated by SLA/Minawi in Dar al Salaam, North Darfur, where the observers were able to interview detainees.

All detainees reported very poor detention conditions and lack of food. Three detainees had been whipped and beaten during their detention.

The SLA and other rebel groups allowed the ICRC access to some prisoners during the year."

Document(s): Open document

12.09.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Kober prison: Report on torture and denial of medical care of 8 prisoners ("Health Professional Action - Torture / Denial of medical care [AFR 54/052/2007]") [ID 21693]

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Prison conditions in government and rebel detention centres remain harsh and overcrowded ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19134]

"Prison conditions remained harsh and overcrowded. Most prisons were old and poorly maintained, and many lacked basic facilities such as toilets or showers. Health care was primitive; prisoners usually relied on family or friends for food. Prison officials arbitrarily denied visits to prisoners. High ranking political prisoners reportedly often enjoyed better conditions than did other prisoners.
Detention centers operated by rebel forces were comparable to those operated by the government, though some were worse. On June 19, UNMIS observers visited a detention facility operated by SLA forces aligned with Minni Minawi, hereby referred to as " SLA (Minawi)" in Thabit, North Darfur, and noted that 16 prisoners were being held in a single cell with no space to lie down; military and civilian detainees were held together. The SLA and other rebel groups allowed the ICRC access to some prisoners during the year. "

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Ongoing incommunicado detentions ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 18321]

"Hundreds of political prisoners continued to be held arbitrarily in Khartoum. Arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detention, torture and restrictions on freedom of expression persisted, aimed in particular at human rights defenders, student activists and internally displaced people in and around Khartoum."

Document(s): Open document

20.04.2006 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Information on prison conditions ("10th European Country of Origin Infomation Seminar Budapest, 1 - 2 December 2005: Final Report on Sudan") [#49770],  [ID 18919]

"The conditions in prison vary from extremely to very harsh. Many prisons are severely overcrowded. Many prisoners are kept in one cell and they are not allowed to leave the cell to exercise. Sanitary conditions are terrible. Very often women, particularly IDP women or those who are detained for alcohol brewing, are imprisoned together with their children. Small children, as young as four or five years old, even babies, are being detained with their mothers without any special provisions. Medical services in prisons are very poor. Even the largest prison in Khartoum, Kobar, does not even have a budget to administer antibiotics. Tuberculosis, malaria and HIV are rampant. Many detainees get ill in detention, they get long term infects or might even die as a result of their imprisonment."

Document(s): Open document

20.04.2006 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Torture in prisons widespread; prison rules give prison management lots of arbitrary powers ("10th European Country of Origin Infomation Seminar Budapest, 1 - 2 December 2005: Final Report on Sudan") [#49770],  [ID 18920]

"Torture is routine and widespread. Many detainees, both persons detained for political reasons and persons suspected of having committed ordinary crimes, are affected. The real number of people who are being tortured is unknown, but it might go into thousands every year. There are a number of recorded deaths in custody as a result of torture, and even after release from the results of torture. In case of ill-treatment by security officials, there is no complaint mechanism.
The prison rules give the prison management a lot of arbitrary powers. They can decide on the imposition of solitary confinement and its length. Prisoners can also be punished with whipping and lashing."

Document(s): Open document