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

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Prison conditions - harsh, overcrowded, and life threatening ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46041],  [ID 12275]

"Prison conditions remained harsh, overcrowded, and life threatening. Most prisons were old and poorly maintained, and many lacked basic facilities such as toilets or showers. Health care was primitive, and food was inadequate. Prison officials arbitrarily denied family visits to prisoners. High ranking political prisoners reportedly often enjoyed better conditions than did other 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.

Juveniles often were held with adults and in some cases subjected to sexual abuse by the adult inmates. On October 9, an adult inmate raped a 16-year-old male in police detention in Juba.

The government did not permit regular visits to prisons by domestic human rights observers; however, in the latter part of the year, the government allowed limited access to UN monitors. The government granted the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) limited access to some detention facilities, but the ICRC requested unrestricted access, which the government denied."

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Most prisons were old and maintained poorly, and many lacked basic facilities such as toilets or showers; health care was primitive, and food was inadequate ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29477],  [ID 12277]

"Prison conditions remained harsh, overcrowded, and life-threatening. Most prisons were old and poorly maintained, and many lacked basic facilities such as toilets or showers. Health care was primitive, and food was inadequate. Prison officials arbitrarily denied family visits to prisoners. High ranking political prisoners reportedly often enjoyed better conditions than did other prisoners."

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

The Government routinely mistreats persons in custody ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29477],  [ID 12278]

"The Government routinely mistreated persons in custody. There were reports that security forces held detainees incommunicado; beat them; deprived them of food, water, and toilets; and forced them to sleep on cold floors. [...]

The Government did not permit regular visits to prisons by human rights observers. No independent domestic human rights organizations monitored prison conditions."

Document(s): Open document

10.2004 - Source: UK Home Office

Prison structure ("Sudan Country Report - October 2004") [#26961],  [ID 12276]

"5.54 The Sudan Organisation Against Torture's (SOAT) Annual Report on Women Prison Conditions in Sudan 2003 provided some background on the prison structure in Sudan. The report stated that "The prisons in Sudan are divided into five sections; Federal, Provincial, Regional, and Central, Open and Semi- Open and Mental Asylums." [23c] (p1) According to the same report, the seven different prisons house the following types of prisoner:

- Federal: Repeat offenders, prisoners with special needs such as
behavioural difficulties, those imprisoned for crimes regarding hudud
[crimes where physical punishment for the offence is provided in law] and
unusual practices like refusing to obey orders.

- Provincial: First time offenders with medium to long term sentences, hudud prisoners from the provinces and those with special needs.

- Regional and Central: Repeat offenders with medium to long term
sentences and first time offenders.

- Open and Semi-Open camp: First time offenders, according to their jobs, age and those with a positive attitude.

- Mental Asylum: Those who have been sectioned under article 4 of the
criminal act of 1991 and prisoners who are too mentally unstable to carry
out their sentences in normal prison conditions. [23c] (p1-2)"

Document(s): Report

15.08.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

North Darfur state: a local secretary of the ruling political party, the National Congress, and 27 other men reportedly arrested by army personnel in the town of Kabkabyia are being detained incommunicado and at risk of torture or ill-treatment ("Sudan - UA 243/03") [#15212],  [ID 12279]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

11.07.2003 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture

South Darfour: members of the Ta'aisha, Salamat, and Reziegat tribes, arrested; they were reportedly tortured during their detention ("Sudan: torture and risk of death sentences for 8 detainees [Case SDN 110703]") [#14280],  [ID 12280]

Document(s): Open document

26.06.2003 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture

Report focused on the general situation of the children in Sudan (situation of internally displaced and refugee children, discrimination, torture and other cruel inhuman treatment, children in conflict with the law) ("Rights of the child in Sudan") [#13954],  [ID 12281]

Document(s): Open document

12.05.2003 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture

Disabled reporter for the Al Sahafa daily newspaper arrested at Nyala stadium by 3 security officers ("Sudan: arrest and torture of journalist Yousif Al Bashier Mousa [Case SDN 120503]") [#12664],  [ID 12283]

Document(s): Open document

06.05.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

14 students reportedly detained incommunicado in Zalingei, Western Darfur province/ they were arrested after a student protest on 1 May/ there are fears they may be tortured ("Sudan - UA 122/03") [#12487],  [ID 12282]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

15.04.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Man arrested by members of the national security forces whilst at work in United Industry in Khartoum North/ he is being held in incommunicado detention, where he is at risk of torture or ill-treatment ("Sudan - UA 102/03") [#12129],  [ID 12284]

Document(s): Open document

15.04.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

9 men detained without charge by security personnel/ they are held incommunicado at Shala prison near El Fasher town, North Darfur province, and may be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment ("Sudan - UA 103/03") [#12128],  [ID 12285]

Document(s): Open document

20.12.2002 - Source: Amnesty International

Detention without charge and torture while in incommunicado detention of 3 men reported ("Sudan - UA 350/02") [#10060],  [ID 12286]

Document(s): Open document

21.10.2002 - Source: Amnesty International

Saudi Arabian national reportedly arrested in Khartoum after a hijacking attempt/ he could be at risk of torture and sentenced to death ("Sudan - UA 313/02") [#9219],  [ID 12287]

Document(s): Open document

28.05.2002 - Source: Amnesty International

Annual report 2002 ("Amnesty International Report 2002") [#7186],  [ID 12288]

"Torture and cruel punishment
The security forces tortured people suspected of opposing the government.
Following his arrest in July in Rodom, Southern Darfur, Sebit Hassan Ramada was reportedly beaten every day for 16 days while in incommunicado detention in Buram. According to reports, Haggar Sesingere, also arrested in July in Rodom, was beaten and had his fingernails pulled out while in incommunicado detention for six weeks."

Document(s): Open document

16.01.2002 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Reports of torture and ill-treatment continued ("World report 2002") [#5285],  [ID 12289]

"Reports of torture and ill-treatment continued. A Sudatel employee fleeing the July 2001 SPLA capture of Raga reportedly was beaten daily and was given little food or water after his detention by government forces. Security forces reportedly pulled out the fingernails of another man detained during the same exodus. Security forces in Juba reportedly continued to use a large metal shipping container as a detention cell, a years-long practice that subjected detainees to life-threatening heat."

Document(s): Open document

08.01.2002 - Source: BBC News

Seven people killed and around 80 people injured in a gun battle between security forces and inmates at a prison near the capital ("Seven dead in Sudan prison riot") [#5140],  [ID 12290]

Document(s): Open document