Rumbek, Lakes State – April 10, 2024 – The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) welcomes the reported release of Hon. Ater Jeremiah Telar, an MP representing Abang Payam, Yirol West County on Tuesday after being briefly detained by security in Yirol.
The circumstances surrounding his arrest, as detailed by the Governor’s Press Secretary and Ater’s family, raise significant concerns regarding compliance with due process and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms in South Sudan legal framework.
Our government should know that the Transitional Constitution of the republic of South Sudan, 2011 as amended, grantees fundamental rights to liberty to all citizens. Article 12 protects the right to liberty and security of a person, ensuring that individuals are not unlawfully detained.
The discussion around Ikangrong residential area shouldn’t be resolve through detention but it need community dialogue with the government if need for expropriation of the land from the community. State should follow all the procedures of expropriation of land for public interests.
It is imperative that authorities adhere to legal procedures and respect the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. Any deviation from these principles undermines the rule of law and erodes public trust in the security and current stability observes in Lakes state.
We urge state government to also condemn statement issued by Press Secretary that referred an elected state member of parliament as “primitive”. Why was he elected if he was primitive; Such humiliated term against other government post holders shouldn’t be condone by the leadership.