How dem sentence 20-year-old woman to death by stoning for Sudan

Military junta don dey run Sudan since coup one year ago.

Campaigners say di 20-year-old no get fair trial and suppose dey free. One goment official agree ay di trial na “a joke” but add say: “We no get minister wey fit chook mouth to demand her release.”

Di young woman, wey separate from her husband for 2020 and go live wit her family, and dey accused of adultery by her husband one year later. Dem later say she dey guilty by June 2022 by one court for di city of Kosti, for Sudan White Nile state.

Dem don hear her appeal against di conviction and dem dey wait for judgement.

Sulaima Ishaq, wey head di Violence Against Women Unit for di Ministry of Social Development, told the BBC that she had been telling officials in the capital, Khartoum, that the trial was flawed, but that the lack of government ministers made it hard to get her point across.

Human rights groups say di woman, wey di BBC no wan name sake of di family request, bin no get access to lawyer while in custody and no dey fully aware of di charges against her.

“We believe say dem illegally force her into signing confession by di police,” say Mossaad Mohamed Ali, executive director of di African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS).

Di woman lawyer, Intisar Abdala, tell BBC say she hope say following di appeal, di court go now “do di right thing” and release her client.

Sudan still dey impose di death penalty for some hudud crimes – offences specified by Allah for di Quran, including theft and adultery. For Sudanese law dem carry penalties like flogging, di amputation of hands and feet, hanging and stoning.

One goment promise for 2015 to withdraw death by stoning as form of punishment neva shele, human rights groups dey tok.

“Even di most conservative politicians dey against stoning,” Sulaima Ishaq tell BBC. “But tins dey take plenti time to change here and den go to di courts, and women be di ones wey suffer.”

Hala Al-Karib, regional director for di Strategic Initiative for Women for di Horn of Africa (Siha), say Sudan adultery laws dey “disproportionately applied to women”.

Di last person known by campaigners wey dem sentence to death by stoning on adultery charge na one young woman wey dem call Intisar El Sherif Abdalla. She and her four-month-old baby bin dey released for 2012 afta campaign by Siha and Amnesty International. But Ms Al-Karib say oda cases fit dey wey dem no notice.

“Feminists and human rights groups for di kontri get very small resources and dem fit be hundreds of cases we no know of.”

Under di transitional goment wey take charge for Sudan afta di uprising against President Omar al-Bashir for 2019, one “public order” law wey control how women act and dress for public bin dey repealed. However, Sudanese journalist Zeinab Mohammed Salih don report say “morality police” wey bin dey patrol di streets and enforce dis law don return afta one year from di coup.

Reports also dey say Bashir loyalists dey re-hired by di ruling junta wey enta power afta di coup.

“We bin dey hopeful say Sudan transitional goment go establish changes to Sudan legal framework, wey kontinu to openly criminalise women and girls and contribute to dia subordination and inequality,” na so Hala Al-Kirab. “But we bin dey naive.”

For 2021, Sudan also become signatory to di UN Convention against Torture.

“Under di Convention, torture dey defined as to cause pesin intentional and intense suffering,” na so Mossaad Mohamed Ali of di ACJPS. “Stoning na one of di worst forms of torture.”

Lawyer Intisar Abdala na di only pesin wey don dey allowed to 20-year-old, wey dey for women’s prison for White Nile State.

“Di young woman dey beta physical health but sure she dey very anxious. E no get plenti wey I fit say as woman lawyer wey live and work to help oda women for inside conservative region like Kosti,” she tok.

She add say di young woman na “ordinary and simple kontri girl from very traditional, and religious, farming family” and say her parents bin no abandon her.

“We dey await judgement from the court of appeal but nobodi fi tell wen e go happen. Waiting na our only option.”

Doz wey dey campaign for di woman release say dem go welcome international pressure.

“We dey concerned say di appeal court no go rule in favour of di young woman,” na so Hala Al-Karib tok.

“E fit be shocking ruling globally, but e no dey shock us.”

Di BBC approach Kosti criminal court for comment, but neva get reply.

E bin no dey possible to ask di Justice Minister for official response because nobodi dey for di post.

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One spokesman for Sudan embassy for London say: “We dey fully aware of dis case and as far as we know, dis no be di court final decision. We don contact di justice authorities for Sudan for dis regard, and we dey await dia response.”