Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT)
http://www.soatsudan.org
Last update of this source description: 6 November 2008. SOAT seems to be inactive since 2008, as at 18 October 2011.
Mission/Mandate:
“The Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT) is an independent non-governmental human rights organisation established in 1993 that works in Sudan and the UK and has members worldwide. SOAT's primary objective is to prevent torture and to challenge the impunity of perpetrators of human rights abuses.” (SOAT Website, http://www.soatsudan.org/, accessed on 6 November 2008)
Target group:
General public, international community, civil society (NGOs, women’s groups, medical professionals, advocates) and vulnerable or at risk groups (IDP's, students, tribal leaders), torture survivors
Objective:
“SOAT works to rehabilitate Sudanese survivors of torture; provides legal assistance to survivors and individuals threatened with inhumane and degrading punishments; human rights education; researches, documents and campaigns against human rights abuses in Sudan on a national and international level.
SOAT's activities are carried out through the following programmes:
1. Medical treatment and rehabilitation: Free specialist medical treatment and rehabilitation services (psychological and psychiatric care, legal aid) for victims of torture, rape and sexual violence.
2. Legal Aid: Legal aid and representation for victims of torture, rape and sexual violence, and for individuals at risk of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment including death penalty, amputation, cross amputation [right hand-left foot amputation according to Shari’a law; comment by ACCORD] and stoning. […]
3. Research, monitoring and documentation: Monitoring the human rights situation including in marginalised and rural areas; visiting detention centres, prisons, IDP camps. Documenting individual cases and thematic concerns.
4. Advocacy and campaigning […]
5. Women, children and prisons programme: Monitoring and reporting on the situation of women and children, women’s prisons, reformatories , research into law and practice affecting women and girls, training for law enforcement and prison officers.
6. Information, media and freedom of expression programme: Research and monitoring freedom of expression, including situation of human rights defenders, journalists and political activists, strengthening capacity of media representatives to lobby, campaign and report on human rights in Sudan […]
Funding:
No detailed information available. According to Human Rights First, most Sudanese NGOs depend heavily on funding from foreign donors (cp. Human Rights First: Sudanese Government Preventing Work of Rights Defenders in Khartoum, 13 July 2006, http://www.humanrightsfirst.com/international_justice/regions/sudan/alert-071306-khartoum.html, accessed on 6 November 2008). In 2003, SOAT received a US$ 27,000 grant from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which is funded by the US government, to organise a symposium (cp. SourceWatch: Sudan Organisation Against Torture, http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SOAT, accessed on 6 November 2008).
Scope of reporting:
Geographic focus: Sudan.
Thematic focus: Human rights, torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment; conditions in marginalised and rural areas, detention centres, prisons, IDP camps; women and children
Reporting methodology:
SOAT monitors the human rights situation by documenting individual cases, visiting detention centres, prisons and IDP camps and researching on thematic concerns.
SOAT publishes annual human rights reports. Other publications include appeals, press releases, the SOAT Newsletter as well as various other reports on the situation in Sudan.
Publication cycle:
No periodic publication cycle. Most recent Annual Report published for the period of March 2005 to March 2006, most recent SOAT Newsletter published for August 2007 to December 2007 (as of 6 November 2008).
Language:
English
Navigation of website:
Annual Human Rights Reports, other human rights reports and the SOAT newsletter can be accessed via the link “Publications” in the menu on the left-hand side of the homepage. Human rights alerts, press releases and appeals accessible via the respective link in the menu.
Additional references:
SourceWatch: Sudan Organisation Against Torture
