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had been sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment for contravening the terms of a “banning order” issued under the Suppression of Communism Act. Mrs Mandela Served the sentence and was released in March 1975.
The International Secretariat, like the United Nations and many other inter- national organizations, wrote to Mr Vorster in January 1975 to ask for the release of Bram Fischer, former leader of the South African Communist Party who was jailed for life in 1966 and who was reported at the end of 1974 to be suffering from terminal cancer. He was conditionally released for a period of one month in early March 1975 and died shortly after this period had been extended for a further two months. A further request was made to the South African government for the release of all political prisoners suffering from chronic ill health.
Al is working on more than 150 adoption and investigation cases in South Africa at the present time. These include convicted prisoners, prisoners awaiting trial, detainees, banned persons and people who have been "banished" to the so- called "resettlement areas". In addition, AI operates a considerable relief program using funds made available to the International Secretariat by the Swedish Section and by means of individual contributions.
Sudan
Following the mass arrests of September-December 1973, an amnesty in March 1974 freed most of the prisoners who had been taken up as investigation cases by Amnesty International groups. However, according to reports reaching the Research Department, more than 100 persons remained in intermittent detention under the provisions of the National Security Law promulgated in June 1973.
Since detentions under this law are nominally limited to a period of six months and ten days, it has proven difficult to obtain data on arrested persons in time for Al's traditional group adoption technique to become effective. In January and February 1975 new steps were taken by the Research Department to overcome this obstacle and to ensure that information about prisoners reaches the International Secretariat with as little delay as possible.
Detainees now held in Sudan include members or supporters of political parties covering a wide ideological spectrum, since the ruling Sudanese Socialist Union is the only legally-recognized party in the country. The Sudanese Communist Party, the Umma Party, the Moslem Brothers (Islamic Charter Front) and the National Unionist Party have all suffered the arrest and detention of their leaders and alleged supporters.
The main prison used to house the detainees is Kober Prison in the northern part of the capital Khartoum, where conditions for political prisoners are reported to have deteriorated since the prison began to be used for detainees earlier this decade. No reading material apart from the Koran is allowed, and detainees are not permitted access to newspapers or radios. No visits to political detainees are permitted, and diet and bedding are inadequate. Prisons in Omdurman, Kassala, Port Sudan, El Obeid and El Fasher have also been used to house political detainees. Prisoners transferred to El Obeid from Khartoum late in 1974 were reported to have been beaten and to have had their heads shaved.