International Calls Mount for Release of Sudanese Artists

On 17 September 2020, Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka, artist Duaa Tariq and four other artists of the Feed Arts Group were arrested on “public nuisance” charges and jailed for two months. At the time of the arrest, the group of artists were creating art for community engagement in Khartoum.

Prior to his arrest, Kuka tweeted a series of tweets on 17 September, stating they were falsely accused of the crime:

Got sentenced to two month in jail now

— hajooj kuka (@hajooj) September 17, 2020

تهمتانا: هتاف ثوري داخل قسم الخرطوم وسط!

اليوم جلسة النطق بالحكم علينا من نظام متمسك بقاضي بسأل لو في زول من المتهمين قريب مديرة مركز الفنون.

ذكورية مدعومة من ٣٠ سنة نظام بائد في #السودان.

وين مفوضية القضاء؟! pic.twitter.com/pHpiOD5D35

— hajooj kuka (@hajooj) September 17, 2020

احتجينا مع الإحتجو
إتكلمنا كلام موضوعي
…
كنا حداشر ونوباوية
متهمنا بالتحريض والتخريب والشيوعية
البوليس صاقع شيوعية
وفاكر نفسو بنبذ فينا
آيا بوليس أمك مسكينة
البوليس عمدني شيوعي
التحقيق طلعني مدان
التحقيق طبعاً تحقيقم pic.twitter.com/g9PpYhbhlE

— hajooj kuka (@hajooj) September 17, 2020

Kuka is a well-known award-winning independent filmmaker. He has made renowned films such as aKasha (2018), Beats of the Antonov (2014) and Darfur’s Skeleton (2009). Kuka’s films screened at over 60 film festivals and received seven international awards, including a People’s Choice Award in 2014 for his documentation of the conflict in the Nuba Mountains in Beats of Antonov. 

Following his tweets, the news of their arrest broke out and quickly triggering public outcry, both locally and internationally. Many took to social media to express their protest of the arrest using the hashtag #ReleasetheArtistsSudan, #FreeSudaneseArtists and #FreeHajoojKuka. South African producer, Steven Markovits, is leading a social media campaign calling for their release. Amnesty International – Eastern Africa, Human Rights Watch and other international human rights non-governmental organisations have joined the call as well.

The bungled arrest, detention and sentencing of award-winning filmmaker @Hajooj Kuka and colleagues from the Feed Arts group has exposed the endemic weaknesses of #Sudan‘s legal and judicial system, which must be reformed to guarantee fair trials. See https://t.co/C60Rm8a5XY pic.twitter.com/kxOjQRYqd4

— AmnestyEasternAfrica (@AmnestyEARO) September 22, 2020

@TheAcademy member @hajooj + 4 artists jailed for 2 months on fake charges in Khartoum. Write 2 SudanEmbassy in yr country for their release. Duaa Tarig Mohamed Ahmed.Abdel Rahman Mohamed Hamdan.Ayman Khalaf Allah Mohamed Ahmed. Ahmed Elsadig Ahmed Hammad.Hajooj Mohamed Haj Omar. pic.twitter.com/b8f1AunFLF

— steven markovitz (@stevenmarkovitz) September 17, 2020

Many from the film industry joined the call for the release of Kuka and the other artists, such as Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), European Film Awards, International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR), and many more. The Academy, which Kuka is a member of, has also joined the call.

When an artist is silenced, society as a whole suffers.

We are calling for the immediate release of filmmaker hajooj kuka and the four other artists who have been jailed for two months in Khartoum, where they were creating art for community engagement. #ReleaseTheArtistsSudan pic.twitter.com/bQFvgwFRAl

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 19, 2020

The Berlinale joins the international protest against the arrest of Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka and four other artists and calls for their immediate release by the Sudanese authorities. #ReleaseTheArtistsSudan @hajooj https://t.co/lhvEvNZamJ pic.twitter.com/pq3Kz0vp0m

— Berlinale (@berlinale) September 21, 2020

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, along with our international film community, supports the efforts to release Academy member Hajooj Kuka and four other artists jailed in Sudan. #ReleaseTheArtistsSudan pic.twitter.com/rQEJicB3ei

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) September 21, 2020

According to sources close to Kuka and Tariq, they have been mistreated since their arrest. It is believed that some members of the group including Tariq were beaten during their arrest. In addition, they are in dire conditions in jail. Kuka, who is held in Soba Prison, has had his long dreadlocks shaven off. Tariq, who is held in the Women’s Prison in Omdurman, said they do not have access to clean drinking water.

“I got my haircut off & beaten, people in front of me were beaten, but thanks to solidarity, the treatment is now better. Solidarity has been beautiful –it makes a huge change for all artists in Sudan, activists & prisoners.”
— Hajooj Kuka, Soba Prison https://t.co/7AiMeLoLfd pic.twitter.com/UNVQMDxr1r

— Ayin network – شبكة عاين (@AyinSudan) September 21, 2020

🇸🇩 #RELEASETHEARTISTS – Duaa & her colleagues are bearing the brunt of a flawed justice system bound by a militant Islamist ideology in #Sudan. Freedom of association is criminalised & existence of women in the public sphere is still undermined.
—
Read: https://t.co/4xksJvk2j5 pic.twitter.com/5gi28PhAVI

— @sihanet (@Sihanet) September 18, 2020

Criminalizing women is still the norm in @Sudan. Duua Tarig the detained female artist is experiencing miserable conditions, intimidation & scrutiny while in jail #ReleaseTheArtistsSudan#الحرية_لدعاء_طارق#free_Duua @Sihanet @Sudanesedream

— Hala Y Alkarib (@Halayalkarib) September 22, 2020

Beyond social media, a protest was organised on 19 September 2020 in front of the Ministry of Justice to demand the release of the Kuka, Tariq and other members of the Feed Arts Group.

أكد الشباب رفضهم لأي وساطة او استرحام لإطلاق سراحهم وحرصهم على ان يتم الإستئناف بشكل يحقيق العدالة وأكدوا إصرارهم على اتخاذ الخطوات القانونية تجاه ماتعرضوا له من انتهاكات،وقد انضم لهيئة الدفاع عددكبير من المحامين والمستشار القانوني لوزارة الشباب والرياضة
من صفحة ا.ناهدجبرالله pic.twitter.com/aBO3cWPmCX

— السارة (@Sara_Suliman_SD) September 19, 2020

Due to the arrest of the artists, local artists have stated that the art scene in Sudan is under attack and called it a ‘state of emergency’.

ممثل ميثاق حماية الفن والفنانين يعلن حالة الطوارئ الفنية بالبلاد بشأن قضية #مجموعة_فيد_الفنية لمواجهة الانتهاكات المستمرة منذ 30 سنة ضد الفن والفنانين #واكب
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إفحص كورونا مجاناً ⬇️ https://t.co/6zzCIjr7MV pic.twitter.com/2Fp0kr5fwr

— واكب | Wakeep (@WakeepAr) September 23, 2020

Related Links:

5 Sudanese Filmmakers Making International Headlines