VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Case SDN 040102.1 VAW
Follow up of Case SDN 040102
Court overturns Death Sentence by Stoning

The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information
concerning the woman who was sentenced to death by stoning in Sudan.

New information

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the
Sudanese Victims of Torture Group (SVTG), a member of the OMCT
network that a Sudanese appeals court in Sudan's southern Dafur state
has overturned the death sentence by stoning of a young pregnant
women named Abok Alfa Akok, who was accused of adultery. The case has
been sent back to the lower court for new sentencing.

According to information received, the court of appeal ruled at the
end of last month that the lower court should give the defendant a
"rebuke" sentence, not capital punishment. Abok Alfa Akok, appealed
on 3 January 2002. She is reportedly still in prison in Nyala.

According to the information received, documents from the appeal show
that the Sudanese man accused of adultery with Akok had been
acquitted by the lower court.

The International Secretariat of OMCT remains concerned for the
physical and psychological integrity of Abok Alfa Akok, as the
charges against her have not yet been dismissed.

Brief reminder of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT was informed by the Sudanese
Victims of Torture Group (SVTG) of the sentencing to death by stoning
of a young women named Abok Alfa Akok from Nyala City, Southern
Darfur.

According to the information received, on 8 December 2001, Abok Alfa
Akok, a Christian woman of 18 years of age from the Dinka tribe, was
sentenced to death by stoning by the criminal court in Nyala City,
Southern Darfur, for the crime of adultery.

The sentence was based on Article 146 of the Sudan's 1991Penal Code,
which is based upon the government's interpretation of the Shari'a
(Islamic law), and which states that whoever commits the offence of
adultery shall be punished with:
1. Execution by stoning when the offender is married (muhsan);
2. One hundred lashes when the offender is not married (non-muhsan);
3. Male, non-married offenders may be punished, in addition to
whipping, with expatriation for a year.

According to the information received, the lawyer has stated that
Abok Alfa Akok has not received a fair trial and an appeal has been
submitted against the sentence.

Actions requested

Please write to the Sudanese authorities urging them to:

i. guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Abok Alfa
Akok;

ii. ensure that the Abok Alfa Akok has a fair and prompt trial in
compliance with international standards of fair trial;

iii. take all necessary measures to secure the respect of the rule of
law in Sudan which includes the respect of the prohibition of torture
and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment and amend
the Sudanese legislation as a matter of priority, in order to abolish
the death penalty;

iv. ensure in all circumstances the full respect of human rights and
fundamental freedoms in accordance with national and international
standards.

Addresses:

· His Excellency Ambassador Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim, Permanent
Mission of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, Case Postal 335,
1211 Geneva 19, fax :
0041 (0) 22 731 26 56, email: [email protected].

· His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President
of the Republic of Sudan, People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum,
Sudan, Telex: 22385
PEPLC SD or 22411 KAID SD

· Mr Ali Osman Yasin, Minister of Justice and Attorney General,
Ministry of Justice, Khartoum, Sudan. Telex:22459 KHRJA SD or 22461
KHRJA SD (via Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

· Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan

Given the lack of working fax numbers for the government officials
above, please send the appeals by standard mail and also write to the
embassies of Sudan in your respective country.

Geneva, 12 February 2002

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this
appeal in your reply
Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT)
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Suisse/Switzerland
Tel. : 0041 22 809 49 39
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E-mail : [email protected]
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