Youth tortured to death, another ‘critical’ following arrest in West Kordofan

One youth is dead and another reportedly in critical condition in El Fula hospital after being tortured by security agents and militiamen in West Kordofan on Tuesday.

The father of Ajak Hamdi told Radio Dabanga that his son was arrested along with Hamid Guja, Musa El Siddig, Mohamed Kashaba, Khareef Mahmoud, Daoud Ahmed, Balal Abdallah, and Adam Abulgasim, when a force of agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) and a contingent from the Central Reserve Forces (Abu Tira) in three vehicles raided Hijeirat market in West Kordofan on Tuesday.

The eight youths were arrested on charges of a vehicle theft, and taken to the NISS camp at El Neem. Hamdi’s father says that “the youths were beaten and tortured by stripping them and forcing them to sit with their backs on a hot metal sheet and pouring hot oil on their backs and sensitive places. It is the same manner in which a number of Sudanese youths have recently been tortured in Libya”.

He said the medical autopsy confirmed that his son had been beaten and tortured to death.

The father explained that the security services transferred the eight youths to a court at Heglig area on Tuesday, but the judge refused to try them because the file and exhibits related to the case were not reported.

Mohamed told Radio Dabanga that he has reported the incident against first lieutenant named Muzamil and six others who he alleges tortured the youths.

Libya

In January, two Sudanese died as a result of torture at the Tajoura Prison in Libya.

Separately, A group of Sudanese nationals who had been kidnapped and tortured by human trafficking gangs in Libya were released from their captors by Libyan authorities on the night of 23 January.

Following the videos showing the torture of Sudanese men being tortured in Libya, the African Union has announced to investigate the cases. The videos were published on online media and aired on a Flemish TV channel, among others.