Two members of the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan, Reverend Idris Joshua Idris Nalos and Pastor Trainee David Gayin, were arrested from their homes by security forces on 19 May. They are being detained incommunicado, without access to a lawyer or their family, and are at risk of torture or other forms of ill-treatment.
On 19 May at 8pm security forces entered Reverend Idris Joshua Idris Nalos’ house in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, and according to eyewitnesses, fired three gunshots in the air, before proceeding to beat the Reverend and take him in away in a car belonging to the security forces. They also searched and confiscated material belonging to him and his family members, including mobile phones, house keys, laptops and documents.
On the same night, at around 10pm, security forces broke down the door and entered the house of Pastor Trainee David Gayin and arrested him. No reason was given to either man’s families for their arrests, and their whereabouts remain unknown. Both men are members of the Presbyterian Church in Juba, South Sudan. They have not had access to a lawyer or their family members.
Detaining someone for more than 24 hours without the permission of the court, as both men have been, is illegal in South Sudan. Article 19(4) of the Republic of South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution states that a suspect must be released on bail after 24 hours, unless a court decides they should be remanded in prison.
Please write immediately.
- Urge the authorities to reveal the whereabouts of Reverend Idris Joshua Idris Nalos and Pastor Trainee David Gayin and grant them immediate access to their families, lawyers, and any medical treatment they may require.
- Call on the authorities to either charge them with a recognizable criminal offence or immediately release them.
- Call on the authorities to adhere to legal proceedings of detention in accordance to Article 19(4) of the Republic of South Sudan’s 2011 Transitional Constitution and international human rights standards.
Address your appeals to
Minister of Interior:
General Alison Manani Magaya
c/o Peter Wal Athieu
Undersecretary, Ministry of Internal Affairs
Juba, South Sudan
Email: pmadol@yahoo.com
Salutation: Honourable Minister
Minister of Justice:
John Luk Jok
c/o Moses Ateny Makol
Ministry of Justice
Juba, South Sudan
Email: mosesatenydemakol@yahoo.com
Salutation: Honourable Minister
Please send a copy to
Minister of Information:
Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin
c/o Mustafa Biong Majak Koul
Director General of Information
Ministry of Information
Juba, South Sudan
Email: musabiong@yahoo.ca
Salutation: Honourable Minister
Additional information
South Sudan gained independence on 9 July 2011, following a referendum as provided in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which brought an end to two decades of civil war. As the world’s newest nation with a history of conflict, South Sudan continues to face challenges in upholding the rule of law, including following arrest and detention procedures stipulated in South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution.
South Sudan’s security forces have a record of harassing and arbitrarily arresting journalists, activists, and those deemed political opponents of the government. Few security forces who have allegedly committed human rights violations have been held to account.