It is with great sadness that International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has learned, on August 31st, the death of Dr. Amin Mekki Medani, a longtime champion of human rights. Dr. Medani was an eminent member of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) movement, as member of the International Board of the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) and former President of the Sudan Human Rights Monitor (SHRM), FIDH member organizations in Sudan. Sudan, Africa and the Arab world lost an outstanding human rights defender. Madani was born in the city of Wad Madani in central Sudan on February 2, 1939. He earned a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in 1970 (Comparative Criminal Law), a Master of Laws degree with distinction from the University of London (1965), a civil law diploma from the University of Luxembourg in 1964, and a Bachelor of Laws (Honors) from the University of Khartoum in 1962.

Dr. Amin Mekki Medani dedicated his life to the protection and promotion of human rights and the rule of law in Sudan and worldwide. He was a prominent lawyer and doctor in Criminal Law and served in various national and international institutions. Throughout his life, Dr. Medani has actively documented and denounced human rights violations committed in Sudan, advocated for accountability, justice and democratic change and represented victims of crimes.

Madani employed his legal expertise in the defense of human rights. He was arrested and detained due to his stances during the terms of former President Jaafar al-Nimeiri and President Omar al-Bashir. His most recent arrest occurred in December 2014, and in 2017 he was banned from travelling for treatment abroad.

Due to his constant and fierce commitment to defend human rights in Sudan, Dr. Medani had become a target of the regime. He however never gave up his struggle for a more democratic and peaceful Sudan and will remain an inspiration to the all. By his death, we have lost the greatest defender of human rights and a well-known legal activist who has vowed his life for democracy and the people of Sudan and its advancement.

Source: FIDH