Sudanese court sentences 9 women to one month, 20 lashes for protesting
March 9, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese emergency court on Saturday sentenced nine young women to one month in prison and 20 lashes for their participation in anti-government.
The trial took place 24 hours after a presidential order on Friday to amnesty the women detained during the anti-government protests that have begun in December 2019.
The young women were arrested on Thursday during their participation in the “Sudanese Women’s Advocacy” march, organized by the Sudanese Professionals Association and opposition allies.
The detainees appeared Saturday at the Emergency Court of Al-Imtidad neighbourhood of Khartoum headed by Judge Taj-Eddin Idris who sentenced them to one month in prison and to receive a beating consisting of 20 lashes for each.
The verdict provoked widespread outrage among the families of the convicts, who gathered in large numbers outside the court, and social networking sites.
However, the defence lawyers said that the judge suspended the execution of the sentence on the nine women until the appeals court makes a final decision.
Observers note the important participation of Sudanese women in the ongoing protest movement against the regime of President al-Bashir despite the brutal crackdown and excessive use of violence by the security forces.
(ST)