The Sudanese Alliance for Rights unequivocally condemns the arbitrary arrest of lawyer and human rights defender Dar Al-Salam Abdullah on June 5, 2025, by the Special Security Cell of District (1), Ombada, in Omdurman.
Ms. Abdullah is a respected legal professional and a courageous advocate for justice, women’s rights, and civil liberties. She has worked tirelessly to defend individuals detained for political reasons and has been an active member of the Resistance Committee of Ombada, District 16. Her commitment to peaceful advocacy, especially in defense of those targeted for their beliefs and activism, is both admirable and essential to the country’s democratic aspirations.
Her arrest and continued incommunicado detention are in clear violation of Sudanese constitutional law, which guarantees the right to due process, legal representation, and protection from arbitrary detention. Preventing her family and legal representatives from contacting or visiting her also contravenes Sudan’s Criminal Procedure Act, as well as regional and international human rights standards.
Internationally, this arrest violates several obligations under treaties to which Sudan is a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)—which protects against arbitrary arrest (Article 9), ensures the right to legal counsel (Article 14), and prohibits enforced disappearance—and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which affirms the right to promote and protect human rights without fear of intimidation. Additionally, the failure to disclose her whereabouts raises serious concerns about torture or ill-treatment, which are strictly prohibited under the Convention Against Torture (CAT).
The arrest of Dar Al-Salam Abdullah stems solely from her peaceful work to uphold rights and freedoms. She has not engaged in any military or violent activities. Her detention reflects a broader and deeply concerning pattern of harassment and repression targeting activists, lawyers, and defenders of human rights in Sudan.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights calls for her immediate and unconditional release, and urges the authorities to respect national laws and international human rights standards. We also call on the international community, including the African Union and United Nations human rights mechanisms, to closely monitor this case and take appropriate action to prevent further abuses.
We stand in full solidarity with Dar Al-Salam Abdullah, her family, and all those who continue to defend the dignity and rights of the Sudanese people often at great personal risk.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights
11 June 2025
