August 3rd 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardiit whose security forces are holding the country’s prominent civil rights activists, Peter Biar Ajak, has been urged to order the release of all the political detainees being held across the country on different grounds including Biar himself who was arrested last week.
Last week, South Sudan security men arrested Peter Biar Ajak at the country’s Juba International Airport while leaving for Aweil for a Red Army occasion due to take place the following day.
In a statement extended to the Nyamilepedia on Thursday, the Organization for the Former Political Detainees and Prisoners urged President Salva Kiir to order for the release of the government critic whose arrested sparked a world-wide condemnations.
“We call upon President Kiir to immediately order the release of Peter Biar. In doing so he will underscore the promise he made in June to the Ethiopian Prime Minster, in the presence of Dr. Riek Machar, that he would release all political detainees that month. By releasing Peter he will also restore confidence in the present peace talks and agreements being undertaken in Khartoum,” the statement said.
The statement highlighted the experience by the OFPDP members during their lifetime in prisons cross the country.
“Based on our experience as former detainees, Peter is now being held in a tiny room in solitary confinement at the National Security Service detention centre at Jebel at the outskirt of Juba. He is being denied access to his family and relatives as well to a lawyer of his choice,” stressed the statement.
It urged President Salva Kiir to also release a number of political detainees that has been kept in South Sudanese jails for a long time and for an approximate period of three years without judicial process.
“We also call upon the President to order the release of the following detainees some of whom have spent more than three years in detention without trial; Nyero Anthony Kenyi, James Lual, Ladu James Paul, Ayume Peter Dada, Yahya Babu, Ahmed Abdallah, Ochaya Godfrey Severio, Tartizio Ociini, Peter Abderhaman Sule, Gen. Elias Lino, Aggrey Idri Ezbon, Samuel Luak Dong, William Endly, James Gadet DaK,” further said the statement.
