Sudan’s SPLM blasts attempts to strip Arman immunity

August 7, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) accused the dominant National Congress Party (NCP) of standing behind moves to strip its deputy Secretary General Yasir Arman of his immunity as a parliament member.

The Public Order Police (POP) which enforces the indecency law adopted by Sudan’s Islamic regime reportedly filed a police complaint against Arman and began proceedings to lift his immunity in order to try him before the court in light of his comments made on the case of journalist Lubna Ahmed Hussein.

Hussein was charged by POP of “indecent” clothing and is facing up to 40 lashes and a fine of 250 Sudanese pounds ($100). The journalist’s however challenged the charge and is in court for a ruling in the case, an unusual move by Sudanese women in similar situation who fear a damage to their reputation if their cases are publicly known.

The case has stirred international attention and condemnation from figures such as French president Nicolas Sarkozy who vowed to help the Sudanese journalist.

Arman accused POP of “taking advantage of the women they arrest and bargain with them for their honor and exploit their fear from their families”.

The deputy head of the SPLM bloc in the Sudanese parliament Atem Garang said that the move by POP to prosecute Arman is “legal terror” describing it as “politically motivated”.

Garang urged the POP to make use of Arman’s comments to pinpoint deficiencies and remove “corrupt officers” adding that “no human being is free from mistakes”.

The SPLM-North sector SPLM spokesperson Kay Jay told the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat suggested that NCP is trying to “reduce the SPLM role in the North”.

In further escalation to the issue, the chief of Sudanese police Brigadier Hashim Osman Al-Hussein vowed that they will “deal swiftly” with Arman “to retain the right of police squandered by these accusations”.

Al-Hussein accused certain parties of launching an “unjust campaign” because of “known political motivations”.

The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) made the NCP the ruling party in the North and the SPLM the ruling party in the South. Furthermore, the peace accord exempted the South from the application of Islamic Shari’a law.

(ST)