SUDAN: Joint statement on the Arrest and Enforced Disappearance of Lawyer Khaled Omar Al-Sadiq
The OIAD together with 9 other organisations express deep concern over the enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention of Sudanese lawyer Khaled Omar Al-Sadiq since 22 December 2024. His case inserts itself within an alarming pattern of persecution against legal professionals in Sudan, who continue to face arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and judicial harassment for carrying out their professional duties.
On 22 December 2024, members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) abducted Khaled Omar Al-Sadiq in front of his home in Khartoum. According to witnesses, he was taken by military vehicle in the presence of at least seven individuals, without any legal basis or warrant being presented for his arrest. According to shared information, shortly after his abduction, RSF forces raided his home and confiscated his belongings, including his computer and legal case files, strengthening beliefs that this abduction was directly linked to his work as a lawyer.
Since his arrest, Khaled Omar Al-Sadiq has been held incommunicado, with no access to his family or legal representation. To date, no information has been made available about his whereabouts, raising serious concerns regarding his safety and respect for his human rights, as previous reports of incommunicado detentions have been coupled with testimonies of violence and gross inhumane treatment. Furthermore, due to pre-existing health conditions, including scleroderma and impaired vision, his situation is particularly critical.
The abduction of Mr. Al-Sadiq is not an isolated case but reflects a systematic crackdown on lawyers in Sudan.
We stand in solidarity with lawyer Khaled Omar Al-Sadiq and all legal professionals in Sudan facing repression for their work. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Signatory organisations:
Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L)
Law Society of England and Wales (LSEW)
International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger (IOAD)
Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC)
Institute for the Rule of Law of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA-IROL)
International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
Frontline Lawyers Association (FLA)
Human Rights Institute of the Bar of Brussels (HRIBB)
Geneva Bar Association (ODAGE)
