Sudan: Winner of Front Line Award arrested in Sudan

Front Line Press release
9 May 2005

Winner of Front Line Award arrested in Sudan

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."

For further information please contact Mary Lawlor, Director, Front Line
on +353 1 212 3750 or mobile +353 86 839 9355 or email
[email protected]