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President Omar al-Bashir |
A Sudanese emergency court on Saturday sentenced nine women
protesters to 20 lashes each for participating in an unauthorised
demonstration against President Omar al-Bashir’s rule, defence lawyers
said.
The ruling by the Khartoum court came despite President
Bashir on Friday ordering the release of all female detainees held
during nationwide demonstrations that have rocked the country since
December.
The authorities have set up special emergency courts to
investigate violations of a nationwide state of emergency imposed by
Bashir on February 22 to end the demonstrations after an initial
crackdown failed to suppress the protest movement.
BANNED
The
nine women protesters were taken to court after they were arrested on
Thursday for participating in a “banned demonstration” earlier that day
in the capital’s eastern district of Burri, a site of regular protests.
“Nine women protesters have been sentenced to one month jail and 20 lashes,” defence lawyer Enaam Atieg told AFP.
“They have been taken to women’s prison in Omdurman,” she said, referring to the twin city of the capital across the Nile.
Ms Atieg said an appeal against the court’s verdict will be filed on Sunday.
PRESSURE
A lawyers’ group that is part of the protest movement also confirmed the sentencing.
“Following
pressure from their lawyers the court has still not implemented the
floggings,” the Democratic Lawyers Alliance said in a statement.
Activists
and rights groups have regularly complained about Sudan’s selective
application of Islamic sharia law, with hundreds of women sentenced to
flogging under a controversial public order law.
Saturday’s ruling was not the first against protesters since special emergency courts were established.
Eight
men accused of participating in a rally were handed jail terms ranging
from six months to five years on March 1 in the first such penalties by
the special courts.
An emergency appeals court on Thursday overturned that decision and freed the eight protesters.
On
Friday, President Bashir ordered the release of all women detainees
held during the demonstrations since they erupted last year, in a move
that coincided with International Women’s Day.
BREAD PRICES
Protests initially broke out in Sudan on December 19 following a government decision to triple the price of bread.
They
quickly mushroomed into nationwide demonstrations against Bashir’s
three-decade rule, with crowds calling on the veteran leader to step
down.
Bashir himself has acknowledged that the protests were led by youths, the majority of them women.
Officials
say 31 people have died in protest related violence so far, while Human
Rights Watch has put the death toll at at least 51.
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