Human Rights Defender Arrested Just Hours Before he was Due to Board a Plane for Ireland to Receive Front Line Award
Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam is due to receive the inaugural Front Line Award from President McAleese at a ceremony in Dublin's City Hall on Friday morning (May 13th). He was selected for the award because of his courageous and inspiring work for human rights in Sudan, including in Darfur, which led to him being twice imprisoned in the last year. At 11.00 am on Sunday 8th of May he was arrested in the street in Khartoum North, hours before he was due to board a flight en route to Ireland.
"The actions of the Sudanese authorities betray their contempt for the protection of human rights," said Front Line Director Mary Lawlor, "this new arrest of Dr Mudawi is a further attempt to silence those who work for the rights of others in Sudan. They will not succeed."
Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam is the Chairperson of the Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO). SUDO, is a voluntary organization created to promote sustainable development and Human Rights. It is engaged in humanitarian activities including providing emergency services in North, South and West Darfur as well as in human rights education and development projects throughout the country. Dr Mudawi is a 49 year old engineer who has been involved in the design and manufacture of water supply systems as well as serving as Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, University of Khartoum
The latest information is that Dr Mudawi is held in the Security Detention offices in Khartoum North. He has not been allowed access to his family or to a lawyer and there are fears that he may have been moved. He was arrested with his colleague Yasir Saleem and driver Abdalla Taha. According to the information received none of the three have yet been charged
Dr Mudawi has been previously been arrested by the Sudanese authorities on two occasions. On 24th January 2005, Dr Mudawi was arrested by members of Sudan’s National Security and Intelligence Agency in North Kordufan. Three days after he was transferred to Khartoum and detained until 3 March 2005. According to the information received Dr Mudawi was held in Khartoum in a ‘ghost house’, a private house used as a secret detention center in Sudan. He went on hunger strike and was transferred to hospital 26 February 2005 and was brought before the Attorney General and charged with "attempting to commit suicide" which could carry a one-year's imprisonment under Article 133 of the 1991 Sudan Penal Code. Front Line believes that such a charge suggests that the Sudanese authorities have failed to find any other offence to charge him with. In 2004 Dr. Mudawi spent seven-months in police custody, having been charged, in connection with his human rights work, of committing offences against the state. Following the hearing of his trial on 7 August 2004, all charges against Dr. Mudawi were dropped and he was released.
The purpose of the Front Line Award it to honour the work of a Human Rights Defender who, through their non-violent work, has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of Human Rights in the face of considerable personal risk. Dr Mudawi was selected as the winner of the inaugural award by a jury which included Ruairi Quinn TD, Senator Paschal Mooney, Simon Coveney TD MEP and Proinseas de Rossa MEP. The Front Line Award will be presented at a ceremony in Dublin's City Hall by President Mary McAleese on Friday 13th May.
Front Line has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr Mudawi. Front Line Director Mary Lawlor stated, "We will continue to press that he be released and allowed to travel to collect his award, however, should he be unable to make it to Dublin we will still go ahead with the ceremony in order to honour this remarkable and courageous man."