Press briefing note on Sudan and Funding Appeal Update

Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Ravina Shamdasani, on behalf of Rupert Colville
Location: Geneva
15 July 2011

(1) Sudan

We welcome the report of the release of some 66 detainees from the custody of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and note with particular appreciation the release of a UN colleague, Hawa Abdallah, whose case Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang had raised repeatedly with authorities during her recent visit to Sudan. Such action is encouraging and should be extended to others in illegal detention elsewhere in Sudan.

We remain concerned about other UN staff in detention. Of note, Idriss Abdel-Rahman has been in detention in Nyala since late April. We are also concerned about journalists who remain in detention and face harsh penalties, including the death penalty.

(2) Funding Appeal Update

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, yesterday inaugurated the new UN human rights country office in Tunisia. Yesterday we also received some good news from the Government of The Netherlands, which, in response to the High Commissioner’s appeal to member states in March and reiterated here two weeks ago, has decided to contribute 3 Million Euros towards our North African operations, including the new regional office due to open in Cairo, and other activities. Since the High Commissioner’s appeal, some other states have also indicated support. We look forward to further such concrete recognition by states of the important human rights work that lies ahead of us.

For more information or interviews, please contact press officers: Ravina Shamdasani (+ 41 22 917 9310 or rshamdasani@ohchr.org) or Xabier Celaya (+ 41 22 917 9383 or xcelaya@ohchr.org)

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ENDS