Abdel Moneim Ahmad al-Haj, member of the Communist Party; Osman Idris Abu Ras, Mohammed Dia, Ishaq Ibrahim, al-Tijani Hussein Daffala al-Sid, poet (all members of the Ba’ath Arab Socialist Party): There are fears for the safety of the above-named men who are among scores of alleged government opponents arbitrarily arrested in Khartoum during January 1997. They are being detained without charge or trial and there is concern that they may be prisoners of conscience at risk of torture or ill-treatment. Abdel Moneim Ahmad al-Haj, who was arrested on 19 January, is a member of the Communist Party and General Secretary of the banned Bank Employees’ Union. He suffers from a gastric ulcer and there is concern he may be being denied access to medical treatment.
