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Sudan Tribune

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Mother of slain US diplomat in Sudan demands death penalty

October 11, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The mother of a US Agency for International Development (USAID) employee killed in early 2008 insisted that the death penalty be carried out against the four men convicted of killing him.

Jane Granville mourns for her son John Granville, the American diplomat killed in Sudan, at his funeral at St. John Vianney R.C. Church in Orchard Park, N.Y. , Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008 (AP)
Jane Granville mourns for her son John Granville, the American diplomat killed in Sudan, at his funeral at St. John Vianney R.C. Church in Orchard Park, N.Y. , Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008 (AP)
John Granville and his Sudanese driver Abdel-Rahman Abbas Rahma were shot dead on 2008 New Years Eve by men believed to be belonging to an Islamic militant group Ansar al-Tawhid which claimed responsibility for the killing.

In the letter read out in Arabic by a prosecutor on Sunday and carried out by Agence France Presse (AFP), Granville wrote: “I say, with a torn heart, there is no option before me: a death sentence is the only sentence that safeguards the lives of others from those who killed my beloved son”.

In a change of heart, the family of Rahma has pardoned the killers last August in line with the Islamic Shari’a law which affords other alternatives to capital punishment which includes them that option or they can request blood money as compensation.

In a related development the convicted men dismissed their defense team and alleged that confessions were extorted out of them.

“This case is a political trial and we release our defense team,” Abdel-Baset al-Hajj Hassan said, speaking on behalf of all four, Reuters reported.

Another, Mohaned Osman, called Granville a “kafir,” or disbeliever, and said: “The Americans killed Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and even in Darfur”.

The court has been adjourned to hear petitions from Rahma’s wife on whether she will waive the death penalty.

Even if Rahma’s wife pardoned the accused, the death penalty for Granville’s murder would most likely still stand, said one of the defense team, Adil Abdel-Ghani told Reuters.

Both victims were killed one day after US President George W. Bush signed a law encouraging divestment from companies which do business in Sudan in an effort to up economic pressure on Khartoum over Darfur.

(ST)

8 Comments

  • Time1
    Time1

    Mother of slain US diplomat in Sudan demands death penalty
    Dealth penalty is the only solution, this court has to be fair and give this terrorist Arabs the death penalty that they deserve.

    Sudan has to show its judiciary is free and fair and ready to serve justice otherwise the Darfur cases cannot undergo trail in sudan if court is not seen and free and fair.

    Give death penalty to this Arab terrorist brothers of the NCP.

    Reply
  • Samson Shawel Ambaye
    Samson Shawel Ambaye

    Mother of slain US diplomat in Sudan demands death penalty
    God be with mother of US diplomat. Sending Bashir to Hague prison is solution because killers are his rebels.

    Reply
  • mohammed osman
    mohammed osman

    Mother of slain US diplomat in Sudan demands death penalty
    When will this ICC is hanging Omer basher, this mans is not suppose to me alive if mr Obama can hear me here from Khartoum,i a native citizens of al Gazeera state of north Sudan,we does not wants this dictator of omer basher

    we will not bow to the SPLM and their dirty American backers,we are not afraid of infidels,allah will help us get you one by one.

    The peoples have risen up today in al Kameleen in al gezeera state, we will not be pressed down by the dictator, 25 of our mens is been injured in the protest today in Khameleen but we will continues to fight for our rights,they have brings this Chinese weapons company that is now polution our crops and poisoning our waters,you knows how many northerns is lost thier lifes to cancer in al Gezeera state alone from polution?

    The protest is continue untill our demands is accepted by NCP.

    Reply
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