Sudan: Sudanese WHRDs At Risk After Released From Detention

During the protests against the Sudanese government austerity measures which started in June and while 12 women had been detained During the protests against the Sudanese government austerity measures which  started in June and incommunicado for 6-8 weeks for most of them. The Sudanese government released most of the detainees arrested during the 2 months protests on August 17-20, at least 200 detainees  had been released among them the 12 women. 

Women detainees we spoke to were highly sensitive about giving testimonies since the beginning of the protests last June, they had been all signed written pledges to never participate in demonstrations or speak to media or human rights organizations , so they felt its very dangerous for them to speak out. The small numbers who agreed to speak out , received phone call threats, in addition to censorship on their phones, and their social networks accounts, most of the their male colleagues didn’t received such threats when they spoke out  .

 In result of the psychological pressure and the inhuman detention conditions, most of the detainees suffer from heath problems after their release. Prevention from going to bath rooms when needed , bad and small fortunes of food, smelly water and solitary cells for 2 of them in addition to  the prevention from access to families or lawyers , those are some of the human rights violations suffered by the women detainees , while sexual assaults specially verbally was used since their moment of arrest until the moment of their release .The families of the WHRDs living under constant fear them , and some of the  put more pressure on the WHRds  to stop their activism to protect them . there is strong indicators that the intimidation campaign  against WHRDs led by the Sudanese security  is affecting their activism and  endanger their lives .

Sudanese Women Human Rights Defenders Project is very concerned about the safety of those women , and call on the Sudanese government to stop  harassing them , and insure their safety , and call on the human rights organizations and women rights NGOs and networks to stand in solidarity with the Sudanese WHRDs , and insure them the needed support and protecti .