AFRICAN Centre for Transitional Justice calls on Kenya government to immediately release Civil rights Lawyer Dong Samuel Luak and Political activist Aggrey Idri without pre-conditions

ACT-J calls on Kenya government to respect the Rights of Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Press Statement: for Immediate Release; 30^th /01/2017

January 30, 2017 (SSNA) — Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted in 1948, guarantees the right to seek and enjoy asylum in other countries. Subsequent regional human rights instruments have elaborated on this right, guaranteeing the “right to seek and be granted asylum in a foreign territory, in accordance with the legislation of the state and international conventions.”

It’s therefore within this context that, the Kenya government should respect the rights of South Sudanese Human Rights Defenders who left South Sudan due to a high level of crimes committed by the government of South Sudan on Lawyers, Journalists, Civil Society activists and political opponents. It is also, the importance for the government of Kenya to locate or show the whereabouts of both Civil Rights Lawyer Dong Luak and Political Activist Aggrey Idri and protect them as well from being torture or deportation.

ACT-J calls on Kenya government under the leadership of Kenyatta to protect the exiled South Sudanese Lawyers, Journalists, activists and political opponents who run away from Juba to the Republic of Kenya due to killings and serious harassments by their home government.

Any decision of Deporting Dong and Aggrey is a serious violation of International Treaties that guaranteeing the protection and safety of asylum seekers. Therefore, Kenya government should desist from violations of refugees and asylum seekers rights.

Regards,

Peter Gai Manyuon, Executive Director

African Centre for Transitional Justice (ACT-J)