British diplomat welcomes Sudan’s decision to overturn Noura’s death sentence

June 28, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – British Ambassador to Sudan Irfan Siddiq Thursday welcomed a decision by an appeal court in Khartoum to commute a death penalty sentence against a young woman convicted of killing her husband in self-defence.

The court on Tuesday overturned a death sentence against Noura Hussein to five years beginning from the date of her arrest on 3 May 2017 and ordered also the payment of the blood money, 337,500 Sudanese pounds.

The decision came following a campaign carried out by human rights activists who successfully mobilized international support for the case.

We are “delighted that Noura Hussein’s appeal against the death penalty has been granted following appeal and Justice For Noura campaign,” wrote Ambassador Siddiq in a Twit released Thursday.

“Will continue to encourage Sudan to ratify CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) and make further progress on human rights,” he added.

Last May, European diplomats in Sudan expressed concern over Noura’s case saying they are ” fully committed to the universal abolition of this cruel and inhumane punishment which is a serious violation of Human rights and human dignity”.

The European diplomats further pointed to the principle of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights which provides that “marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.”

(ST)