DefendDefenders

Osman Hummaida, born in 1960, emerged as a fearless human rights defender in this challenging environment, dedicating his life to exposing human rights violations and seeking justice for victims. His human rights activism began during his time at the University of Khartoum, where he was a politically active student. After graduating, he worked at the Ministry of Finance in the early 1990s. While there, he was part of a group of civil servants mobilising others to lay down their tools in protest against the government’s repression of civil society organisations and opposition party members. When the government got wind of the upcoming protest, Osman was arrested, detained, and tortured in a secret detention center, often referred to as a “ghost house.” Following his release, he was dismissed from his job. In 1993, he fled to the United Kingdom, where he continued his work, focusing on supporting torture survivors and advocating for human rights in Sudan. He joined the Sudanese Group for Victims of Torture (SGVT), quickly rising to become its Executive Director. SGVT provided medical and psychosocial support to hundreds of Sudanese torture survivors in Sudan and outside Sudan, collaborating with institutions such as the El-Nadeem Centre in Cairo. The organisation published reports and raised international awareness about human rights violations in Sudan. Later, SGVT rebranded as the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT). Under his leadership, SOAT expanded its work, providing critical medical and legal support to victims while amplifying their voices on international platforms.