{"id":2897785,"date":"2008-03-20T04:18:03","date_gmt":"2008-03-19T21:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/?p=2897785"},"modified":"2023-04-13T05:18:24","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T05:18:24","slug":"16-year-old-to-be-executed-in-sudan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/2008\/03\/20\/16-year-old-to-be-executed-in-sudan\/","title":{"rendered":"16 year old to be executed in Sudan"},"content":{"rendered":"
An Appeals Court has confirmed sentences of death on ten individuals in Sudan. At least one of them:<\/strong> Al-Tayeb Abdel Aziz (m),<\/font>  was a 15 year old the time of the alleged crime. Following is an urgent call by Amnesty International.<\/p>\n

\nURGENT ACTION<\/strong><\/font>
\nAMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
\nPUBLIC
\nAI Index: AFR 54\/003\/2008
\nUPDATE
\n19 March 2008<\/p>\n

Further Information on UA 302\/07 (AFR 54\/064\/2007, 12 November 2007) Death Penalty<\/p>\n

SUDAN
<\/strong>
\nAl-Tayeb Abdel Aziz (m), aged 16<\/font>
<\/strong>Ishaq Mohammed Sanousi (m), aged 71
\nAbdel Hay Omar (m)
\nMustafa Adam (m)
\nMohammed Birgid (m)
\nHassan Adam Fadel (m)
\nAdam Ibrahim (m)
\nJamaleddin Isa (m)
\nAbdel Magid Ali Abdel Magid (m)
\nSabir Hassan (m)<\/p>\n

On 13 March the Khartoum-North Court of Appeals confirmed the death sentences on 10 people. They were sentenced to death in November for the murder of Mohammed Taha, Editor of al-Wifaq newspaper, in September 2006.<\/p>\n

One of those facing execution, Al-Tayeb Abdel Aziz, was 15 years old at the time of the murder. Another of the group, Ishaq Mohammed Sanousi, is thought to be 71 years old. All those sentenced to death said that they had been tortured to confess to the murder and been forced to sign confessions, which were later produced in court. All 10 people retracted their confessions in court, but the Appeal Court accepted the confessions as evidence against them.<\/p>\n

The 10 have now appealed to the Supreme Court, where a panel of three judges will hear the appeal. A further appeal is possible to the Constitutional Court, whose final decision has to be ratified by the President.<\/p>\n

BACKGROUND INFORMATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mohammed Taha was an outspoken newspaper editor who had also angered Islamists after writing an article discussing the ancestry of the Prophet Mohammed, after which he was arrested by the security services. He was also said to have written articles attacking Darfuris.<\/p>\n

During their investigation into the murder of Mohammed Taha, police focussed on Darfuris and rounded up 72 people, including women and children. Nearly all those detained said that they were tortured to give information or confessions. Most were released but 19 were brought to trial. During the trial, the judge released eight because they had confessed under duress but failed to release others who also said that they were tortured.<\/p>\n

Amnesty International is concerned that the use of torture to extract confessions is built into the Sudanese system of justice by Article 10(i) of the Law of Evidence of 1993, which states that \u201c\u2026 evidence is not dismissed solely because it has been obtained through an improper procedure, if the court is satisfied that it is independent and admissible\u201d.<\/p>\n

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty unconditionally in all situations as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.  The use of the death penalty against child offenders is prohibited under international law. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), both have provisions exempting children under 18 from execution. Sudan has a responsibility to adhere to these international laws.
<\/strong>
\nRECOMMENDED ACTION<\/strong>: Please send fresh appeals at this stage, to<\/p>\n

– emphasize that the authorities have a right and duty to try those who are reasonably suspected of having committed crimes but defendants must be given fair trials;
\n– express concern at Article 10(i) of the Law of Evidence of 1993 which states that \u201c\u2026 evidence is not dismissed solely because it has been obtained through an improper procedure, if the court is satisfied that it is independent and admissible\u201d, and stress that such a rule is incompatible with international standards which outlaw torture;
\n– state your opposition to the death penalty which is the ultimate cruel inhuman and degrading punishment and is a violation of the right to life;
\n– call on the authorities to abide by their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 37 of which states that \u201cNo child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age\u201d;
\n– call for the death sentences against the 10 to be overturned;
\n– call for allegations of torture to be investigated, and any security official who is found to have used torture to be brought to justice.<\/p>\n

APPEALS TO:<\/p>\n

Abdel Baset Saleh Sabderat
\nMinister of Justice
\nMinistry of Justice
\nPO Box 302
\nKhartoum, Sudan
\nFax:                 011 249 183 770883
\nSalutation:       Dear Minister<\/p>\n

Ibrahim Mohamed Hamed
\nMinister of the Interior
\nMinistry of the Interior
\nPO Box 2793
\nKhartoum, Sudan
\nFax:                 011 249 183 776554 (Please mark it “FAO Minister of Internal Affairs”)
\nSalutation:       Dear Minister<\/p>\n

COPIES TO:<\/p>\n

Her Excellency Dr. Faiza Hassan TAHA ARMOUSA
\nAmbassador for the Republic of Sudan
\n354 Stewart Street
\nOttawa, Ontario K1N 6K8
\nFax:                 (613) 235-6880
\nE-mail:            sudanembassy-canada@rogers.com<>><\/p>\n

Dr Priscilla Joseph
\nChair of the Human Rights Committee
\nNational Assembly
\nOmdurman, Sudan
\nFax:                 011 249 187 560 950
\nSalutation:       Dear Dr Joseph<\/p>\n

\nYour prompt response is valuable and appreciated.<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Appeals Court has confirmed sentences of death on ten individuals in Sudan. At least one of them:<\/strong> Al-Tayeb Abdel Aziz (m),<\/font>  was a 15 year old the time of the alleged crime. Following is an urgent call by Amnesty International.<\/p>\n

\nURGENT ACTION<\/strong><\/font>
\nAMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
\nPUBLIC
\nAI Index: AFR 54\/003\/2008
\nUPDATE
\n19 March 2008<\/p>\n

Further Information on UA 302\/07 (AFR 54\/064\/2007, 12 November 2007) Death Penalty<\/p>\n

SUDAN
<\/strong>
\nAl-Tayeb Abdel Aziz (m), aged 16<\/font>
<\/strong>Ishaq Mohammed Sanousi (m), aged 71
\nAbdel Hay Omar (m)
\nMustafa Adam (m)
\nMohammed Birgid (m)
\nHassan Adam Fadel (m)
\nAdam Ibrahim (m)
\nJamaleddin Isa (m)
\nAbdel Magid Ali Abdel Magid (m)
\nSabir Hassan (m)<\/p>\n

On 13 March the Khartoum-North Court of Appeals confirmed the death sentences on 10 people. They were sentenced to death in November for the murder of Mohammed Taha, Editor of al-Wifaq newspaper, in September 2006.<\/p>\n

One of those facing execution, Al-Tayeb Abdel Aziz, was 15 years old at the time of the murder. Another of the group, Ishaq Mohammed Sanousi, is thought to be 71 years old. All those sentenced to death said that they had been tortured to confess to the murder and been forced to sign confessions, which were later produced in court. All 10 people retracted their confessions in court, but the Appeal Court accepted the confessions as evidence against them.<\/p>\n

The 10 have now appealed to the Supreme Court, where a panel of three judges will hear the appeal. A further appeal is possible to the Constitutional Court, whose final decision has to be ratified by the President.<\/p>\n

BACKGROUND INFORMATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mohammed Taha was an outspoken newspaper editor who had also angered Islamists after writing an article discussing the ancestry of the Prophet Mohammed, after which he was arrested by the security services. He was also said to have written articles attacking Darfuris.<\/p>\n

During their investigation into the murder of Mohammed Taha, police focussed on Darfuris and rounded up 72 people, including women and children. Nearly all those detained said that they were tortured to give information or confessions. Most were released but 19 were brought to trial. During the trial, the judge released eight because they had confessed under duress but failed to release others who also said that they were tortured.<\/p>\n

Amnesty International is concerned that the use of torture to extract confessions is built into the Sudanese system of justice by Article 10(i) of the Law of Evidence of 1993, which states that \u201c\u2026 evidence is not dismissed solely because it has been obtained through an improper procedure, if the court is satisfied that it is independent and admissible\u201d.<\/p>\n

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty unconditionally in all situations as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.  The use of the death penalty against child offenders is prohibited under international law. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), both have provisions exempting children under 18 from execution. Sudan has a responsibility to adhere to these international laws.
<\/strong>
\nRECOMMENDED ACTION<\/strong>: Please send fresh appeals at this stage, to<\/p>\n

– emphasize that the authorities have a right and duty to try those who are reasonably suspected of having committed crimes but defendants must be given fair trials;
\n– express concern at Article 10(i) of the Law of Evidence of 1993 which states that \u201c\u2026 evidence is not dismissed solely because it has been obtained through an improper procedure, if the court is satisfied that it is independent and admissible\u201d, and stress that such a rule is incompatible with international standards which outlaw torture;
\n– state your opposition to the death penalty which is the ultimate cruel inhuman and degrading punishment and is a violation of the right to life;
\n– call on the authorities to abide by their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 37 of which states that \u201cNo child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age\u201d;
\n– call for the death sentences against the 10 to be overturned;
\n– call for allegations of torture to be investigated, and any security official who is found to have used torture to be brought to justice.<\/p>\n

APPEALS TO:<\/p>\n

Abdel Baset Saleh Sabderat
\nMinister of Justice
\nMinistry of Justice
\nPO Box 302
\nKhartoum, Sudan
\nFax:                 011 249 183 770883
\nSalutation:       Dear Minister<\/p>\n

Ibrahim Mohamed Hamed
\nMinister of the Interior
\nMinistry of the Interior
\nPO Box 2793
\nKhartoum, Sudan
\nFax:                 011 249 183 776554 (Please mark it “FAO Minister of Internal Affairs”)
\nSalutation:       Dear Minister<\/p>\n

COPIES TO:<\/p>\n

Her Excellency Dr. Faiza Hassan TAHA ARMOUSA
\nAmbassador for the Republic of Sudan
\n354 Stewart Street
\nOttawa, Ontario K1N 6K8
\nFax:                 (613) 235-6880
\nE-mail:            sudanembassy-canada@rogers.com<>><\/p>\n

Dr Priscilla Joseph
\nChair of the Human Rights Committee
\nNational Assembly
\nOmdurman, Sudan
\nFax:                 011 249 187 560 950
\nSalutation:       Dear Dr Joseph<\/p>\n

\nYour prompt response is valuable and appreciated.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[17,13,10],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897785"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2897785"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897785\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5195956,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897785\/revisions\/5195956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2897785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2897785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stopchildexecutions.com\/scenewsarchive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2897785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}