31/03/2016

4 Sudanese defenders banned from participating in UPR Info Pre-session

Four human rights defenders from Sudan were banned from travelling to Geneva to participate in the UPR Pre-session of their country on 31 March 2016.

The four defenders had their passports confiscated at the airport by Sudan’s security agency NISS while en route to Geneva. One of the defenders was due to speak on behalf of a coalition of Sudanese civil society organisations named “Our Rights Group” that submitted a report to the United Nations ahead of the review of Sudan.

This is the first time, since the Pre-sessions were established in 2012, that defenders have been prevented to participate. In five years, over 400 human rights defenders have raised human rights concerns on 129 countries.

UPR Info strongly condemns this restriction on civil society participation in the UPR process and calls on Sudan to remove the travel bans and ensure that civil society can freely participate in the UPR process. UPR Info also urges all States to raise this issue bilaterally and during Sudan's UPR in May 2016.
 

Pays: Sudan