PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; JUNE 5, 2013, Juba, South Sudan
SSHURSA commemorates Isaiah Abraham, pays condolences to the family, calls for justice to be done for his family and urges the state to respect the Constitution:
Juba, June 5, 2013 (SSNA) — Today June 5th 2013, the South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy (SSHURSA) continues to remember the painful departure of one of us, a colleague, fellow citizen and human rights defender; Isaiah Diing Abraham Chan Awuol (Isaiah Abraham). He was murdered by unknown armed persons on December 5th 2012 at his humble house in Gudele Residential Area, Juba, South Sudan. Today marks the five painful months that have gone without justice done to his family. SSHURSA continues to ask these four painful questions:
The above questions have continued to remain unanswered to date. However, SSHURSA strongly believes that the answers lie with the Government of South Sudan. In the interest of justice and due process of the law, it would be proper to have the government answered them in a clear and frank language, as soon as possible despite its failure to do so over the last five months and kept the family in a state of uncertainity.The Government has all the prosecutorial powers and capable of knowing the answers to these questions. Silence of government confirms SSHURSA’s argument that the state of South Sudan, clearly knows who killed Isaiah Abraham and it bears the ultimate responsibility over the blood of the late, a man who was true to his conscience and killed for challenging evils meted on his fellow citizens.
On January 3, 2013, the Government of South Sudan through the Minister of Information & Broadcasting, announced to the public that it had arrested a number of suspects believed to be responsible for the assassination of Isaiah Abraham but to this day the suspects have not be brought to justice neither revealed publicly nor their identity known. This is injustice to the family of the late and also a violation to Article 19(4) of the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan 2011 which stipulates a speedy and fair trial of the accused person(s).
To this end, SSHURSA calls upon the Government of South Sudan through the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Judiciary to speed up justice for the family of the late by conducting a fair trial of the accused persons over this case.
If the government is not ready to do justice for the family of the late, it has again to publicly announce that it has failed and therefore, it has deceived the people of South Sudan on Isaiah’s case. It is unthinkable, unlawful and a great public deception to claim that the investigations are still going on. What kind of investigations? Five months of investigations! This is not true. We in SSHURSA strongly believe that the government is covering up how the late Isaiah was killed and believably by the government. We challenge the government’s innocence over the case. Its silence over the prosecutions of the widely acclaimed detained suspects simply proves the government has responsibly found itself in a guilty situation of Isaiah’s death.
Government, without delay, should reveal the findings of the investigations of those it alleged it has arrested on the case and starts prosecuting the accused persons. Silence means either the information got from those alleged detained, has implicated the government and its agents or the government did not arrest anybody in the first place but made pronouncement to buy time and appease the public for whom Isaiah Abraham gave up his life.
Once again SSHURSA pays tearful and heartfelt condolences to the family of the late and calls upon its membership to stand strongly and push forward until justice is achieved.
It is SSHURSA belief that no matter the longer it takes, justice will prevail at the end and government will always remain being held responsible over this case. This argument will continue until the Government of South Sudan can prove that it didn’t kill Isaiah Abraham and therefore, will produce the assassins before the court of law for trial.
Finally, believing in the supremacy of the Constitution and the universality of human rights, SSHURSA and its staff will continue standing behind the family of the late and regardless of any price, will always push on, until justice is achieved. We know, this struggle will not bring back Isaiah Abraham but somebody someday who killed him, must be made to account for his blood.
For more information about SSHURSA or this press release, contact SSHURSA through its Executive Director on: Tel. +211 955 300 382 or +211 915 364 531 E-mail: [email protected], Juba, South Sudan.