MPs and Peers call on Foreign Secretary to press the Government of Sudan to immediately release British national

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A cross party group of 23 MPs and Peers have today written to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson calling on him to outline what steps he will take to secure the release of British-Sudanese national Dr Sidqi Kaballo.

Dr Kaballo is detained without charge or trial after participating in peaceful protests in Khartoum on 16th January 2018.

Today on Dr Kaballo’s 70th birthday MPs and Peers who are members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sudan and South Sudan or who have been by contacted by constituents about the human rights situation in Sudan have called for renewed efforts to ensure the safe release of Dr Kaballo.

Richard Burden MP, who has written the letter to the Foreign Secretary, said:

“Today Dr Kaballo should be in my constituency celebrating his 70th birthday with his family and friends.His family were planning a big celebration for the occasion. What they were not planning for was Dr Kaballo to be thousands of miles from his family in a prison cell in Darfur.

As a cross-party group of MPs and Peers many of us have been contacted by constituents who are concerned about the grave human rights situation in Sudan and the arbitrary detention of Dr Kaballo and other political detainees. It is now over two months since Dr Kaballo was first arrested and he remains arbitrarily detained without charge or trial. On Dr Kaballo’s 70th birthday we are today calling on the Foreign Secretary to press the Government of Sudan at the highest levels to immediately release Dr Kaballo.”

 

Sir Henry Bellingham, Chair APPG Sudan & South Sudan, said:

It’s unacceptable that Dr Kaballo, a British citizen, has been held in detention without charge or trial for over two months. 

As Dr Kaballo marks his 70th birthday today in prison in Darfur, we’re calling on the UK Government to do all they can to secure his release.”

 

Ahmed Kaballo, Dr Kaballo’s son, said:

“My father has committed no crime and therefore should not be detained.

The fact that they can detain a 70 year old diabetic man without charge for peacefully protesting the price of bread is the true crime not only against my father but against the people of Sudan.”

 

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Richard Burden

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I was Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Northfield between 1992 and 2019 and a former Shadow Transport Minister. I now chair Healthwatch in Birmingham and Solihull, and the West Midlands Board of Remembering Srebrenica. I also work as a public affairs consultant. I am an effective community advocate and stakeholder alliance builder with a passion for human rights. I am a trustee of the Balfour Project charity and of Citizens Advice Birmingham, and a former Chair of Medical Aid for Palestinians.

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You can reach me by email at richard@richardburden.com or use the form on the Contact page to send me a message.