Press release

SUDAN GOVERNMENT: Murderous Action Suppressing Peaceful Demonstrations

March 27, 03

SHRO-Cairo received reliable report on the extrajudicial killing of a student by police firearms during a peaceful demonstrations in Khartoum this last Saturday March 22, 2003.

With these murderous actions, the Sudan Government has shamelessly resumed a ruling junta entrenched tradition of crimes against humanity, extrajudical killing, torture, and the ruthless suppression of the Sudanese popular movement. The ruthless attitude of the authorities made it possible for the police force, which should have acted under judicial supervision in accordance with the law, to brutalize the innocent students who were peacefully protesting the war on Iraq.

The police shooting led to the immedite death of student Shareef Hasab-Allah and the wounding of others. This uncivilized brutality should be further condemning the ruling junta with the long-standing crime of restricting peaceful demonstrations by the Sudanese masses against the war mongering activities of government in the South, DarFur, and the other regions.

International human rights norms affirm, according to Article 19, "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Article 20 reads, “1-Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.”

· SHRO-Cairo strongly condemns the reckless attitude of the authorities towards the right of free expression and peaceful demonstrations that has directly led to the extrajudicial killing of student Hasab-Allah and the unlawful suppression of the students' peaceful demonstration. Sudan Government is required by international norms, as well as Sudan best laws, to conduct an independent judicial investigation that should put to trial members of the police force, as well as the other security and state managers, responsible for this murderous action.