28.05.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

8 students arrested after participating in demonstration on the occasion of "Global Day for Darfur"; they were reportedly tortured in detention ("Annual Report 2008") [ID 23357]

"More than 100 people, including students, participated in a demonstration in September on the occasion of the "Global Day for Darfur".

Eight students were arrested after the demonstrations and held for two days.

They were reportedly blindfolded and tortured by the NISS.

On the third day they were transferred to the police and the torture ceased."

Document(s): Open document

22.05.2008 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture

Port Sudan: The student Ahmed Mohamed Abdu Hassan was abducted on 13 May 2008; he was taken away in a car allegedly belonging to the Military Service Department and tortured to reveal the whereabouts of political activists; he was freed and left unconscious on the street the same day ("Abduction and torture of student in Port Sudan [SDN 220508]") [ID 23923]

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Secretary general of the Juba Students Union arbitrarily arrested ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23002]

"In February security forces arrested the secretary general of the Juba Students Union.

No reason was given for his detention.

His status was unknown at year's end."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Police use of excessive force to disperse student protests results in deaths and injuries ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23059]

"Police use of excessive force to disperse demonstrators resulted in deaths and injuries.

In February, following protests at Neelain University in Khartoum in which one student was killed by police, students affiliated with the minor opposition group Sudan Congress Party (SCP) were arrested by national security officials.

All reported being mistreated during their detention. [...]

According to UNMIS, on August 6, students at Upper Nile University in Malakal demonstrated over the election of new student union officers.

The SSPS, backed by the SPLA, confronted the students as they took their demonstration into the town and shots were fired, killing one student and injuring four others.

Authorities took no action against security forces who used excessive force."

Document(s): Open document

15.11.2007 - Source: UK Home Office

Students and members of marginalised groups, like the Nuba or people from Darfur, likely to be beaten or otherwise tortured after arrest ("Country of Origin Information Report; Sudan") [ID 24205]

"Amnesty International published a list of known political detainees in Sudan in June 2005 which contained a number of persons listed as students.

An accompanying public statement, dated 1 July 2005, remarks that:

"Students and members of marginalised groups, like the Nuba and people from Darfur, are most likely to be beaten and otherwise tortured after arrest."[16o-16p]

AI, SOAT, OMCT SHRO-Cairo also recorded a number of incidents of arrest, detention, and suspected or actual cases of torture - some of which resulted in death - against politically active students, many of whom were of Darfuri origin, in 2004, 2005 and 2006."

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Khartoum: Scores of students beaten and reportedly taken to secret centres known as "ghost houses" ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 20087]

"In February scores of students from Juba University in Khartoum were beaten with batons by armed police and security services after they gathered to call for the university to be relocated to Juba. Some 51 were detained and, according to reports, taken to secret centres known as "ghost houses" where they were beaten, deprived of food and not allowed access to legal counsel or their families."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Ongoing government crackdown on dissident students ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19131]

"In February National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) officers used tear gas and beat students with sticks to break up a peaceful student demonstration at Kassala University. Several students were hospitalized due to their injuries. [...]

On June 12, NISS officers detained and tortured a male student from the Islamic University in Omdurman. The student had distributed flyers calling for the university to reinstate several students who had been expelled for nonpayment of fees. The officials took the student to a room on campus, blindfolded him, and hung him by his feet from a ceiling fan. They then attempted to insert a glass bottle into his anus, beat him with a metal bar, and shocked his hands and feet with electric wires. They released him after he signed documents obliging him to pay over $7,000 (SDD 1.5 million). The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) later verified the victim's injuries with a medical certificate.

On September 7, SPLA soldiers beat at least six university students in Wau after the university director asked the SPLA to intervene to protect the university from student agitators. UNMIS reported that the students were beaten without provocation, some after simply acknowledging that they were students at the university. On September 19, the governor of Western Bahr al Ghazal ordered the university closed for one year and asked police and SPLA to remove all students from campus. "

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Ongoing police crackdown against students in 2006 ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19286]

"On February 11, students at the main campus of the University of Juba, in Khartoum, rioted to protest the lack of progress in returning the university to Juba. Students also demanded the right to re-establish a students' union. Police arrested several students; others were reportedly tortured by NISS. After a second protest in late March, the minister of higher education and scientific research closed the main campus. The University had not re-opened at year's end.

Security forces tortured students during the year (see section 1.c.). The government continued to harass university student groups. The government took the files of student unions, destroyed their computers, and arrested and detained their members (see section 2.b.). In September the governor of Western Bahr al Ghazal closed the university in response to student agitation (see section 1.c.). [...]

Security forces used excessive force, including beatings, tear gas, and firing of live ammunition to disperse unapproved demonstrations. For example, according to UNMIS, on May 8, between 600 and 700 University of Khartoum students affiliated with the SLA (Abdel Wahid) and the JEM protested against the signing of the DPA. Police responded by firing tear gas and beating the students with sticks, injuring 17 and arresting 10 for disturbing the peace and being a public nuisance. The charges were later dropped for lack of evidence.
"

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Students continue to be target of repression ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 18339]

"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. [...]

Many student activists were arrested and beaten by police and other security forces. At least one was shot dead by police.

• On 11 April, Nagmeldin Gafar Adam Eisa, a student activist at Dilling University in Kordofan, died after being shot by the police on university premises during a protest against the conduct of student union elections. Police fired tear gas and live ammunition at the demonstrating students.
• On 19 April students demonstrating at El Fasher University in favour of UN Security Council Resolution 1593, were attacked by police and other security forces using tear gas and stun grenades and firing shots in the air. Four students were arrested, charged with public order offences, tried and acquitted. Another demonstration at the university, on 21 April, culminated in two students being injured, one seriously, as a result of police firing gunshots to disperse the crowd. Police reportedly refused to allow the seriously injured student, who was accompanied by AU personnel, passage to a hospital.

Document(s): Open document

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

Students tortured ("10th European Country of Origin Infomation Seminar Budapest, 1 - 2 December 2005: Final Report on Sudan") [#49770],  [ID 18924]

"Male and female students were badly beaten, in some cases women had to be treated for at least one or two moths in intensive care in hospital as a result of the maltreatment. When we insisted on having an investigation, the president called for an investigation committee, but we never got any report or results of this investigations. I personally saw one case where a student had been tortured with 45 cigarette burns on his hands. We followed the case, but the judiciary did not react."

Document(s): Open document

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

Increasing persecution of students ("10th European Country of Origin Infomation Seminar Budapest, 1 - 2 December 2005: Final Report on Sudan") [#49770],  [ID 18932]

"Since summer, students have been targeted very much. More and more students from Khartoum University have been arrested and tortured: Students who were active in student unions or who were in contact with Darfurian students or Nuba students - various activities that were not in line with the official student movement of the regime. As in many countries, students appear to be politically more sensitive and more active, but there is no real development of new opposition forces in any organised way yet, and it would certainly not be permitted by the regime. [...]
There were several clashes between the students and the police. On request of the director of the university, the police entered the university and took all removable items, including TV, DVD and electric equipment. All the cell phones of the students were confiscated. Male and female students were badly beaten, in some cases women had to be treated for at least one or two moths in intensive care in hospital as a result of the maltreatment. When we insisted on having an investigation, the president called for an investigation committee, but we never got any report or results of this investigations. I personally saw one case where a student had been tortured with 45 cigarette burns on his hands. We followed the case, but the judiciary did not react."

Document(s): Open document

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

Information on situation of students in 2005 ("10th European Country of Origin Infomation Seminar Budapest, 1 - 2 December 2005: Final Report on Sudan") [#49770],  [ID 20531]

"This report is based on the notes and transcripts of the presentations given by Dr. Homayoun ALIZADEH, Regional Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for South-East Asia and former Head of OHCHR in Khartoum, and Dr. Hans SCHODDER, Senior Protection Officer of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in Khartoum, on 1 and 2 December 2005. Passages taken from Mr ALIZADEH’s presentation are marked with the abbreviation HA, the contributions of Mr SCHODDER are marked with HS. […]

3.3.2. Students

HS:
Since summer, students have been targeted very much. More and more students from Khartoum University have been arrested and tortured: Students who were active in student unions or who were in contact with Darfurian students or Nuba students - various activities that were not in line with the official student movement of the regime. As in many countries, students appear to be politically more sensitive and more active, but there is no real development of new opposition forces in any organised way yet, and it would certainly not be permitted by the regime.
HA:
There were several clashes between the students and the police. On request of the director of the university, the police entered the university and took all removable items, including TV, DVD and electric equipment. All the cell phones of the students were confiscated. Male and female students were badly beaten, in some cases women had to be treated for at least one or two moths in intensive care in hospital as a result of the maltreatment. When we insisted on having an investigation, the president called for an investigation committee, but we never got any report or results of this investigations. I personally saw one case where a student had been tortured with 45 cigarette burns on his hands. We followed the case, but the judiciary did not react."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Government security forces detained and tortured nine students ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46041],  [ID 12457]

"Impunity continued to be a serious problem. On October 17, government security forces detained and tortured nine students on the campus of the Islamic University in Omdurman after they attempted to form a union. The students were beaten with thick metal chains, plastic piping sticks, and rifle butts."

Document(s): Open document

13.02.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Students beaten, detained and reportedly tortured in 'ghost houses' ("Sudan: Students beaten and detained -- reportedly tortured in 'ghost houses' [AFR 54/003/2006]") [#43989],  [ID 20532]

Document(s): Open document