29/04/2000 – APPEL DE L’OMCT – ORGANISATION MONDIALE CONTRE LA TORTURE EN FAVEUR DES ENFANTS INCARCÈRES A DJIBOUTI (en anglais)

Case DJI 190400.1 CC
Follow-up to case DJI 190400.CC
CHILD CONCERN

Geneva, 28th April 2000.

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Djibouti.

New Information

The International Secretariat of OMCT has received further information regarding the detention of a number of Oromos (Ethiopian citizens) boys in Gabode prison in Djibouti.

The list of those detained has been updated to the following:

Abdi Ahmed Djibril, 15 years
Abdi Djamal Abdimazak, 13 years
Abdoulfatah Ziad Ahmed, 12 years
Abdoukader Youssouf Ali, 12 years
Abdoulaziz Omar Yossar, 10 years
Adisu Abayne Hagase, 13 years
Ahmed Abdallah Badasso, 12 years
Ahmed Mohamed Abdi, 15 years
Ahmed Mohamed Ismail, 12 years
Ahmed Mohamed Kalif, 15 years
Ahmed Nour Abdi, 15 years
Bayen Houssin Hadji, 12 years
Chamsadih Houssein Mohamed, 10 years
Chamsadih Houssein Saaf, 15 years
Faysal Ibrahim Aden, 15 years
Tarafa Gojane Tasfayé, 10 years
Hassan Badri Youssouf, 10 years
Khadir Mohamed Said, 15 years
Mohamed Ahmed Moualin, 13 years
Mohamed Daeb Aden, 15 years
Mohamed Siraj Ahmed, 10 years
Moussa Mohamed Waday, 15 years
Nassir Houssein Abdi, 10 years
Njanka Iibah Khalif, 15 years
Sagae Gama Tahmarad, 13 years
Salahadih Djama Ali, 11 years

Furthermore, according to the information received, the conditions inside the prison are described as suffocating and dirty.
The detainees are only allowed two hours of « exercise » in an open air corridor, or in the corridor what is described as an « oven »
detention.
It should be noted that this is the only time that the detainees are supervised by guards.

The temperature of the prison in the summer is often 45 C and does not descend below 35 C. The hot summer begins in May, although this year due to a particularly dry season, it is already
extremely hot already.

Brief reminder of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT expressed its grave concern for the physical and psychological integrity of 29 Oromos (Ethiopian citizens) boys, allegedly detained and subjected to sexual abuse by fellow adult inmates and prison guards in ‘Prison
de Gabode’ in Djibouti for the last 6 months.

It is reported that these children were arrested in the street following their arrival in Djibouti from Ethiopia as refugees from the regional conflict.

The International Secretariat of OMCT recalls that Djibouti is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and has obligations to the provisions of this Convention, particularly
Articles 3, 37 and 40.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in Djibouti urging them to:

i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of these children;

ii. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges;

iii.guarantee an immediate investigation into the alleged sexual abuse and ill-treatment, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;

iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, particularly the Convention
on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Djibouti.

Addresses

Gabode Prison Monsieur le directeur,
prison civile de Djibouti
BP 12

Son Excellence Monsieur – Ismail Omar Guelle,
Président de la République,
La Présidence,
BP 6, Djibouti,
République de Djibouti.
Fax (+ 253) 35 50 49 // 350174

Monsieur Ibrahim Idriss Djibril,
Ministre de la Justice,
Ministère de la Justice,
B.P. 12,
Djibouti, République de Djibouti.
Fax (+ 253) 35 40 12 // 35 54 20

Monsieur Ali Abdi Farah,
Ministre des affaires étrangères,
Ministère des affaires étrangères,
BP 1863, Djibouti,
République de Djibouti.
Fax: (+ 253) 353840

Monsieur Ali Dini,
Batonnier de l’Ordre des Avocats de Djibouti,
Barreau de Djibouti,
B.P. 2461,
Djibouti, République de Djibouti.

Geneva, April 28th, 2000

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

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Case DJI 280400

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Djibouti.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of sexual abuse and appalling conditions of detention in Gabode Prison of three young men, Abdi Robleh, 22 years, Mohamed Ibrahim Abdi, 20 years, and Moussa Houssein Farah, 18 years in Djibouti.

According to the information received, they are part of a number of Oromos (Ethiopian citizens) boys and young men are allegedly being detained and subjected to sexual abuse in Gabode prison in Djibouti. (see also cases DJI 190400.CC and DJI 190400.1.CC)

It is reported that these young men were arrested in the street following their arrival in Djibouti from Ethiopia as refugees from the regional conflict and are allegedly being detained and subjected to sexual abuse by fellow adult inmates and prison
guards in ‘Prison de Gabode’ in Djibouti for the last 6 months.

Furthermore, according to the information received, the conditions inside the prison are described as suffocating and dirty.
The detainees are only allowed two hours of « exercise » in an open air corridor, or in the corridor that is described as detention in an
« oven ». It should be noted that this is the only time that the detainees are supervised by guards.

The temperature of the prison in the summer is often 45º C and does not descend below 35º C. The hot summer begins in May, although this year due to a particularly dry season, it is already
extremely hot already.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in Djibouti urging them to:

i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the above mentioned persons;

ii. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;

iii.guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;

iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and nternational
human rights standards.

Addresses

Gabode Prison Monsieur le directeur,
prison civile de Djibouti

BP 12

Son Excellence Monsieur – Ismail Omar Guelle,

Président de la République,
La Présidence,
BP 6, Djibouti,
République de Djibouti.

Fax (+ 253) 35 50 49 // 350174

Monsieur Ibrahim Idriss Djibril,
Ministre de la Justice,
Ministère de la Justice,
B.P. 12,
Djibouti, République de Djibouti.

Fax (+ 253) 35 40 12 // 35 54 20

Monsieur Ali Abdi Farah,
Ministre des affaires étrangères,

Ministère des affaires étrangères,
BP 1863, Djibouti,
République de Djibouti.

Fax: (+ 253) 353840

Monsieur Ali Dini,
Batonnier de l’Ordre des Avocats de Djibouti,

Barreau de Djibouti,
B.P. 2461,
Djibouti, République de Djibouti.

Geneva, April 28, 2000

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.