Female relatives of Mr Bushra Gamar Hussein protesting his ongoing detention

On 19 June 2012, prominent human rights defender Mr Bushra Gamar Hussein declared an open ended hunger strike in protest against his arbitrary detention despite a judge dismissal of a call for his remand in custody.

Bushra Gamar Hussein is a member of the Nuba ethnic group in South Kordofan. He founded and currently chairs the South Kordofan Human Rights and Development Organisation (HUDO). He is the former director of the South Darfur branch of the Sudan Social Development Organisation, which works on development and human rights issues in Sudan.

On 17 June, a judge dismissed a call for the defender's remand in custody under the 1991 Sudan Penal Procedure Code. However, Bushra Gamar Hussein remains detained in the custody of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) at the State Security Prosecutor's Detention Centre in Khartoum for allegedly “working with international organisations hostile to Sudan”.

As a result of his hunger strike, the health of Bushra Gamar Hussein has seriously deteriorated. He is reported to not be fully conscious and is unable to take medication. On 24 June, the defender was taken to the Police Hospital under guard where it is feared that he is being forcibly fed. On the same day, members of his family staged a protest in front of the State Security Prosecutor's office calling for his immediate release and denouncing his treatment in detention. The predominantly women protesters held banners critical of the discriminatory manner in which Bushra Gamar Hussein is being treated and the lack of equality before the law.

Front Line Defenders reiterates its concern for the deteriorating health of human rights defender Bushra Gamar Hussein as a result of reported torture and ill-treatment during his ongoing arbitrary detention, and urges the authorities to refrain from force feeding and provide necessary medical treatment according to the wishes of the defender.

Front Line Defenders believes that Bushra Gamar Hussein's detention is directly related to his legitimate and peaceful human rights work in Sudan, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

For more information, please see Front Line Defender's recent urgent appeal dated 30 May 2012: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/18478.

You can find additional information on the situation for human rights Defenders in Sudan. HERE