July 23, 2016 (JUBA) – The campaign group, Amnesty International, said a South Sudanese man has died in the hands of the country’s National Security Services (NSS) after spending nearly two years in arbitrarily detention in the capital, Juba.
Loreom Joseph Longie, 36, was allegedly arrested in September 2014 in Kapoeta county of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State and transferred to the capital Juba alongside two other detainees Benjamin Taban and Joseph Ngec.
The two have been released, according to Amnesty International, but that 30 other men detained separately remain in “arbitrarily detention at the NSS headquarters.”
“Loreom Joseph Longie died in the early morning of 17 July while undergoing treatment at Juba Teaching Hospital. He had been taken to the hospital on 14 July by NSS officers,” Amnesty International said in a statement issued Saturday.
The campaign group said there were “poor conditions at the NSS detention facility” and physical abuse, insufficient food and medical care which accelerate deterioration of health status for the detainees.
“He [Loreom] was said to be suffering from a tapeworm infection that went untreated and caused liver damage,” said the London-based campaign group.
Loreom was reportedly arrested for alleged links to the armed opposition faction led by First Vice President, Riek Machar.
“NSS officers beat him severely, pierced his testicles with needles, and dripped molten plastic on to his skin. He was then transferred to Juba and detained at the NSS headquarters in the Jebel neighbourhood until his death,” it said.
Two other detainees, Benjamin Taban and Joseph Ngec were released in early June, but 30 other men are still behind bars at the NSS headquarters “and have been denied the right to be brought promptly before a judge and the right to challenge the lawfulness of their detention.”
“Some of these detainees are being held incommunicado, without any access to family members or the outside world,” it added.
The group urged South Sudanese authorities to either charge each of the 30 men with a recognizable offense consistent with international law, or immediately release them.
Amnesty International said it documented an increase in violations committed by the NSS and other security agencies since conflict began in mid-December 2013. Cases of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, extra-judicial killings and prolonged detention have reportedly been on the rise, with reports of torture and ill-treatment while in custody.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has named the 30 men who are still under NSS’s detention as Alison Mogga Tadeo, Aloro John, Andria Baambe, Angelo Banaveso, Ayume Dada, Chandiga Felix, Daniel Bakumba, Davide Peter, Eli Duku Nimaya, Emilio Paul, George Livio Bahara, Gwagbwe Christopher, John Mboliako, Jorem Eseru, Justin Yasir, Justine Peter, Justine Wanawila, Kennedy Kenyi, Lado James, Lokolong Joseph, Martin Augustino, Michael Sokiri, Mike Tyson, Ochaya Godfrey Saverio, Ocitti Richard Okumu, Otihu Lawrence, Paul Baba, Richard Otti, Sokiri Felix Wani and Tartisio Oshini.
(ST)
